Like Peter Sagar's three albums that came before it, helium is another venture into a different part of the huge spectrum that is alternative/indie rock. while 2017's "fresh air" was a bedroom pop/lo-fi r&b tape of laidback love songs, helium is a synth and snare filled half hour with some of the most personal songs Homeshake's made yet. that being said, it's also some of Sagar's weakestLike Peter Sagar's three albums that came before it, helium is another venture into a different part of the huge spectrum that is alternative/indie rock. while 2017's "fresh air" was a bedroom pop/lo-fi r&b tape of laidback love songs, helium is a synth and snare filled half hour with some of the most personal songs Homeshake's made yet. that being said, it's also some of Sagar's weakest songwriting. opening instrumental early begins with the twinkling of birds and the "early" (pun intended) notes of the morning before sliding into the sly "anything at all", which has one of the most infectious melodies I've heard in a while. but as Sagar finds himself wishing he had something else to do, I find myself thinking the same as his lyrics try to make the most basic observation about this generation being stuck in their cell phones (something everyone has thought as soon they look around with their newly dead phone in their hands). lead single "Like Mariah" is the most upbeat of the songs as the wish of stardom is sung in the likeness of the star referenced in the title. "just like my" is probably the most mundane of the tracklist, as Sagar meanders through lyrics about a pair of shoes (or pants) that he just got while "nothing could be better" has a nice rap-like bounce and swing that kept me engaged throughout the track. some of the album's best moments, however, come from the non-singles; "another thing" is an infectiously catchy romp with an 80s snare sample that brings back nostalgia that I'm not old nor experienced enough to feel, while "all night long" finds Sagar using his voice to its upper limits, and his songwriting to decent use as the spooky beginning chords merge with a soothing synth melody. "(secret track)" is the most traditionally r&b track on the album, meant to invoke the feeling of a late night thinking session that may or may not involve some good gas. all of these songs are stitched together by instrumental interludes like "heartburn", "Trudi and Lou" (which is named after Sagar's grandparents and sounds like the songs that preceded and follow it) and my personal favorite, "couch cushion" which literally devolves into one minute of white noise. with a runtime of thirty-three minutes, the brevity of the album is quite refreshing and makes it an enjoyable listen all the way through, and it honestly has no songs that I consider a miss or a skip. recorded completely in his apartment rather than in a studio with contributions from bandmates, helium is an album that was created during a better time in Sagar's life with him in a better mindset than the last three, yet you can't help but feel like he might've been a teeny bit bored during the process as well.
-7/10
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