Review: On the fringes of Paris, Helen Island's latest LP invites listeners into a world of intrigue and contradiction, where tropical wave, ethereal shoegaze, and abstract pop collide in unexpected ways. It's a journey through shadowy streets and late-night hums, where every track feels like an exploration of the space between clarity and chaos. The record opens with 'Me Who,' a track that sets the tone with its distant, pulsating rhythms and layered vocals, creating a sense of detached introspection. The city's quiet hum is always just under the surface, occasionally breaking through with an almost manic urgency, like the pull of something just out of reach. On 'Hot Zone Regular Day' and 'Fame Gang,' Helen Island leans further into experimental territory, blending tropical textures with subtle shoegaze, constructing a sound that's both familiar and strange. Tracks like 'Invincibl' and 'Ghost Guns' offer a glimpse of a more polished side, with melodies that gently float above the murky depths of the record's darker moments. As the album progresses, you can hear echoes of artists like James Ferraro and Dean Blunt, but Helen Island still manages to chart their own course, never quite conforming to what you expect. It's an album that thrives in paradox the sound of a world half-lit, full of tension, but also a certain kind of quiet. One to get lost in, if you let it.
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