Arriving soon!
Fog-shrounded Parisian collective Helen Island re-unite with Knekelhuis for a second LP of emo-ambient, alterna-pop minatures that couldn't be much more redolent of the current moment. And who knew that PAN's pivotal Mono No Aware compilation would become so influential on a new generation of bedroom pop auteurs? Silence is Pricless marries the heart-on-sleeve emotional exapnse of that collection (think particularly of the contributions made by Malibu, Yves Tumor and Kareem Lofty) with a keen melodic sensibility that feels just as rooted in the uncanny valley of LA hyperpop as it does Dean Blunt agitism. The kind of music that seems to be able to feel too little of its face and too much in its chest. A very modern record, then, and one that carries with it both obvious ambition and an 'i'll-do-whatever-i-feel-like' attitude that keeps it the right side of weirdo. Whatever your views on the matter, this is undoubtedly the langauge of pop music now - you need only view the influence of an artist like Sophie on the mega-ascent of Charli xcx for evidence - and the celing for an act like Helen Island is hard to determine. Strange the trajectory of such bedroom synthesis. Inspiring all the same that outsiders might get a shot a upsetting the esbtalished order.
FFO: Voice Actor, more eaze/claire rousay, PC Music, Yves Tumor
