reviews

Playback Magazine, St Louis

If a friend or a music writer tells you that a certain album is "cool," it doesn't really convey much, does it? You know that they like it, but "cool" is hardly a descriptive word. So when I say that the Seattle-based Helvetia's second album, The Acrobats, is totally cool, I want to explain why...especially because I don't use that word very often.

It's cool because Helvetia mastermind Jason Albertini is obviously in love with music. He's not just wanking around on the various instruments he plays (guitar, organ, drums and bass); he digs the sounds, and he captures that affection, attentively, excitedly, creatively. Albertini probably has a big record collection, but he's not an imitator; he's blazing his own trail, and that means the guitars, the drums and the arrangements have a special signature. "Harbored" is a damn fine modern guitar-based rocker, but I can't immediately say "it sounds like Band X." I can tell you, though, that the guitars are fiery and throbbing with vitality, and the vocal is just moody enough to complement that electric sound.

The disc is cool because Albertini has the panache to double-track the high vocal on "Honest Gods" with an even higher falsetto, putting the creative juju here way beyond the ability of most indie types. It's cool because it recognizes the value of focused discordance, epitomized on the awesome "Blasting Carolina." This fantastic slab of sonic sexiness smooshes together two very different parts, one a Sonic Youth-like guitar clanger with curiously contrasting folksy harmonies, the other a Flaming Lips-flavored bit of stately dream pop that another band would've made a different song completely. But how cool that these guys didn't!

The cool-o-meter really hits the high level, though, starting with track 7, "Watermelon Sugar." This one is all guitar and drums, with just snatches of vocals that you can't really make out. But no matter; there's a refreshingly bright groove here, of the organic bedroom muse variety. Albertini gets big bonus points for his inventive drumming (emphasizing the upbeat on the latter half of the track in a way that's simply transcendent; only someone in the zone creatively would play the drums like this). "Summer" follows, and it's a bracing mid-tempo rocker that's, well, cool. Really cool. The strings bend gloriously, the drumming is again flawless, and there's even a dash of sweet female background vocals (from Tara DerYeghiayan) to top it off.

Albertini plays just about every instrument on this track, so he gets full credit for its pure delightfulness. There are so many other examples to cite: the song "Hit the Sauce" sounds like the "sauce" in question is some rare music seasoning that makes the gently psychedelic, reverbed vocals and evocative arrangement (with a perfectly economical burst of fuzzed-up lead guitar) far tastier than they would be in lesser hands. And the combination of shimmering organ, perfect drums and endearingly shy vocals on "The Outs" (all, remarkably, Albertini's work) blissed me out, totally.

Helvetia have truly hit the mark on The Acrobats; they've made a record that's consistent, full of little surprises, and never less than wide-eyed, creatively. It sounds like they had a great time, capturing a breezy liveliness on this disc that carries over to the listener. And what could be cooler than that? A | Kevin Renick

R

Seattle's Helvetia have emerged from the basement for the follow up to 2006's The Clever North Wind, and stepped brazenly into the blinding light of a decidedly more pop universe. While their debut effort wrapped itself around the fuzzy lo-fi tendencies made famous by Yo La Tengo and Guided By Voices, sophomore effort The Acrobats generally eschews the bedroom aesthetic in favor of much higher production values. Of course having Jim Roth (Apostrophes, Built To Spill) in the recording booth probably didn't hurt either. Former Duster bandmates Jason Albertini and Dove Amber still comprise the core lineup of Helvetia, along with Adam Howery on bass, but this time around garner guest appearances from luminaries Brett Netson (Built To Spill) and Mike Johnson (Dinosaur Jr.). The resultant jams retain plenty of spaced-out moments; however it's a crisper sort of psychedelia, licentious rather than languid, bursting often with pulsing organ drones and lithe guitar riffs. All signs of the 4-track recordings that characterized their first album are essentially erased from memory. Albertini's vocals resemble a stoned version of Wayne Coyne's croon, earnest if somewhat lacking in range. Songs shift seamlessly between the dreary and daft. While "Harbored" delves into more haunting depths, full of wavering guitar squeals and a persistent drum beat, tracks like "Blasting Carolina" and "The Fever" dip their fingers unabashedly into the classic rock trick-bag, complete with chords that ramble raucously. "It's hard to breathe in the city," comes the whispered lament from stand-out "Watermelon Sugar," a shuffling up-beat saunter followed by the equitably toe-tapping "Summer." "Old New Bicycle" slices a generous piece from The Sea and Cake, a jazzed warbler of mellow proportions. This three-song block from the heart of the album proves the most invigorating on Acrobats, a sampler of stylistic deviations that define the band at this moment of their development. When the guitars are given space to launch skyward, and where the welcome drone of organ paints a background that shimmers golden against a cymbal crash, The Acrobats is as nimble as its name suggests. The soundtrack to a summer day spent lazily in the sun, Helvetia demonstrates a growing confidence that, if yet missing a few pieces of that perfect pop concoction, are rapidly approaching its dazzling pinnacle. Similar Albums: The Sea and Cake - The Sea and Cake Guided By Voices - Sandbox Built To Spill - Perfect From Now On Listen Here Download at Mars Simpson 04.08.2008

Helvetia -
The Acrobats

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By: Jenny An

Helvetia's The Acrobats is what Jack Johnson wishes he could be. The man who'd like to think of him as the soundtrack to long summers on the beach, guitar and joint in hand, has met his match. Throw in an organ, winding melodies and some distortion pedals and you've got what should be playing during while watching sunsets and sipping lemonade.

The psych-rock, lo-fi band is one member short of Duster and produced by Jim Roth of Built to Spill, the Seattle-based band's sound has been reigned in with sharper melodies and more meandering guitar solos for their second album. Released on March 23 on Up Records, most of the meanness from their previous album, The Clever North Wind, is gone. There's a lot of play with style in this one – from jazz to country – and to interesting effect. Noise vibrates in the background, of songs like Moving that Behind creating aural curiosity.

More experimentation is not the only way Roth left his mark, Jason Albertini's voice sounds eerily similar to Doug Martsch's at points. Recorded in Roth's home studio, every guitar stroke is fuzzy and distorted, blending with drums, vocals and organ to create a warm ambience. It's cozy and nostalgic, hot chocolate to your ears.

On this album, Helvetia shows the variety of what they can do. From jazzy, guitar solos on "What It Did," to freak-pop with a screech-noise wall-of-sound on "Blasting Carolina" its original music that's still accessible. The album is diverse enough to never be boring but a strong guitar them and steady, throbbing drum beats keep it cohesive.

"Old New Bicycle" is the standout song of the album with a repetitive drum line and intricate guitar-work. It shows off the best aspects of the album. Stop-and-go guitar and catchy theme makes for as danceable and hummable as psychedelic gets.

This isn't one of those albums you listen to. It fills heads with dreamy ambrosia and shoulders with the need to sway. It's not dance, but it's definitely groovy.

There are few new tricks and turns on The Acrobats but that doesn't mean it's bad. Helvetia's new album is a mellow stew of lo-fi and psychedelic influences. You've heard these tricks before but the end result is nice and perfect for long drives and chilling out.

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MP3: Helvetia

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PITCHFORK FORECAST
New Music: Helvetia: "Old New Bicycle" [MP3/Stream]
Bicycles defy the old textbook notion of history as a linear progression. As everyone knows, bikes were invented in the 19th century by Paul Newman, and they've remained useful from the time when steam engines ruled the Earth through the present-- long after the year somebody should've invented flying cars. What seems to interest Seattle lo-fi psych-rockers Helvetia most on "Old New Bicycle", from sophomore album The Acrobats, isn't pedal-powered propulsion itself (although some of the lyrics actually are about bikes) so much as the wind in their hair, the sun warming their backs, the girl perched on their handlebars-- all conveyed through colorful, laid-back drums, frayed stoner guitars, and sighing duet vocals. Our narrator is not only "shit-ass broke" but on the bad side of the "po-po," too, and besides that, he's got dead ends and one-way streets to worry about. Helvetia's members include two of the three guys from Galaxie 500-esque turn-of-the-millennium band Duster, whose atmospheric sound wasn't so different from this on great albums like 1998's Stratosphere, even if their tempos were. Some things are worth keeping around.

STEREOGUM
BAND TO WATCH: HELVETIA
Like Times New Viking, Helvetia reminds us of a font, but we know ancient Swiss history well enough not to be fooled (uh, merci, Wiki). Plus, this is guitar-centric rocking pop of a different sort. The Seattle duo -- featuring 2/3 of Duster -- can conjure a bit of Built To Spill in frontman Jason Albertini's voice and exploratory guitars. We thought maybe we were just hearing things, but no -- Helvetia's toured with BTS in the past, are doing so again soon, and their lineup's fleshed-out live by members of Doug Martsch's elder band. Not enough jammy incest? Well, their forthcoming album The Acrobats was recorded by BTS guitarist Jim Roth and includes guest spots from Spill's ranks (along with members of Arthur & Yu and Mike Johnson & the Evil Doers). Wonder if "Acrobats" refers to Albertini's guitars? Take a listen to two songs from the new one after the jump and invent your own baseless theories.

Helvetia - "Old New Bicycle" (MP3)
Helvetia - "Blasting Carolina" (MP3)

The opening guitar of "Old New Bicycle" is really slippery -- nice. Not that they ever get unslippery (pay attention at the 1:25 mark). And congrats on those funky shuffling drums, Dove Amber. Sorta hippie, totally locked-in cool. By the time you get to "Blasting Carolina" you should get the sense of these all-over-the-fret-board guitars and hold steady drums. The dreamy multi-tracked vocals? Bonus. We're totally flashing back to the glory days of Up Records here. And anyone remember Mohinder? Crazy. Keep up with the boys at MySpace. They're tricky and have more material posted at this Space, too.

Helvetia
The Acrobats
The Static Cult Label
***
Well, when your sophomore release has you opening for Built To Spill and a newly reunited Meat Puppets, you must be doing something right, or at the very least something the notoriously finicky Dough Martsch likes. Where Helvetia's debut The Clever North Wind was a bed-sit album of the most pleasurable order, The Acrobats offers a decidedly different vibe. More actual "band" songs, more intricate and trippy guitar passages, more heroic solos, more time changes, etc… more of everything in general. It sounds like Jason Albertini spent a year hitting the bong and bobbing his head to a pile of 60s French pop and zoned out 70s Kraut-rock records. Gone are the crafted electronics and ambient guitar ruminations that put Helvetia so fondly in the hearts of twee indie pop lovers everywhere. This is not necessarily a bad thing.—Arlie Carstens

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MONDAY, MARCH 17, 2008 Helve'tia The Acrobats TSC Records Anytime I hear a band described as "lo-fi" I tend to cringe a little. My first impression is a bunch of guys who aren't very good musicians and record using crap gear because it's "hip and sounds cool". Well Helve'tia certainly doesn't sound like that. "The Acrobats" has a dreamy, mellow feel throughout with jazzy progressions, cool effects and solid bass lines that really drive the songs. It takes me back to the late eighties, early nineties when alternative rock was just that; an alternative to what was mainstream. The guitars run through a variety of tones and textures along side some pedal steel and organ thrown in for good measure. The vocals have a laid back feel to them, never getting loud or over the top. This is definitely for those looking for the true "indie" bands still out there. Good stuff. - Craig Harvey POSTED BY ABOUT MOVEMENT AT 9:27 AM

Treble Magazine..... Seattle's Helvetia have emerged from the basement for the follow up to 2006's The Clever North Wind, and stepped brazenly into the blinding light of a decidedly more pop universe. While their debut effort wrapped itself around the fuzzy lo-fi tendencies made famous by Yo La Tengo and Guided By Voices, sophomore effort The Acrobats generally eschews the bedroom aesthetic in favor of much higher production values. Of course having Jim Roth (Apostrophes, Built To Spill) in the recording booth probably didn't hurt either. Former Duster bandmates Jason Albertini and Dove Amber still comprise the core lineup of Helvetia, along with Adam Howery on bass, but this time around garner guest appearances from luminaries Brett Netson (Built To Spill) and Mike Johnson (Dinosaur Jr.). The resultant jams retain plenty of spaced-out moments; however it's a crisper sort of psychedelia, licentious rather than languid, bursting often with pulsing organ drones and lithe guitar riffs. All signs of the 4-track recordings that characterized their first album are essentially erased from memory. Albertini's vocals resemble a stoned version of Wayne Coyne's croon, earnest if somewhat lacking in range. Songs shift seamlessly between the dreary and daft. While "Harbored" delves into more haunting depths, full of wavering guitar squeals and a persistent drum beat, tracks like "Blasting Carolina" and "The Fever" dip their fingers unabashedly into the classic rock trick-bag, complete with chords that ramble raucously. "It's hard to breathe in the city," comes the whispered lament from stand-out "Watermelon Sugar," a shuffling up-beat saunter followed by the equitably toe-tapping "Summer." "Old New Bicycle" slices a generous piece from The Sea and Cake, a jazzed warbler of mellow proportions. This three-song block from the heart of the album proves the most invigorating on Acrobats, a sampler of stylistic deviations that define the band at this moment of their development. When the guitars are given space to launch skyward, and where the welcome drone of organ paints a background that shimmers golden against a cymbal crash, The Acrobats is as nimble as its name suggests. The soundtrack to a summer day spent lazily in the sun, Helvetia demonstrates a growing confidence that, if yet missing a few pieces of that perfect pop concoction, are rapidly approaching its dazzling pinnacle. Similar Albums: The Sea and Cake - The Sea and Cake Guided By Voices - Sandbox Built To Spill - Perfect From Now On Listen Here Download at Mars Simpson 04.08.2008