Following the success of their previous two albums, Glasgow psych outfit Helicon have released their latest album God Intentions on the Fuzz Club label.
Recorded at Dystopia, Glasgow with producers Luigi Pasquini and Jason Shaw, God Intentions was mastered by RIDE’s Mark Gardener and includes contributions from the Rhona MacFarlane String Quartet, Lavinia Blackwall (Trembling Bells), Mark O’Donnell (Tomorrow Syndicate), Sotho Houle (French avant-garde violinist) and Anna McCracken.
Formed in 2011 by brothers John-Paul and Gary Hughes in Glasgow, who were appalled by the mundane mediocrity of mainstream music, the brothers set out to “channel the cosmic noise of their Scottish homeland and sitar-led opium tainted sounds of India with the neo psychedelic swoons of 90s San Francisco.”
The album is their best yet, with nods to Spaceman 3, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, and taking inspiration from Nick Cave and Suicide and The Warlocks, giving the listener a heady brew of luxuriant sounds.
Right from the opening dirge of the first track “Dark Matter,” the listener is taken on the band’s own musical journey, sometimes barren, other times dense and exuberant – but always cinematic. You can imagine the songs playing out the tales on a soundtrack to a Coen Brothers film.
Stand out tracks “Flume,” “Heliconia” and “Tae The Moon” are signature Helicon tracks, psyched out and utterly enthralling.
Vocalist/guitarist John-Paul Hughes says: “God Intentions is inspired by my brother Gary’s story and a few other influences. It’s a journey through regret, redemption and resurrection. Our familiar darkness is there, but the record carries a fresh and uplifting positivity. I had a clear idea of how I wanted it to sound and feel long before it began. We’re so pleased we achieved it. We managed to hold true to the idea whilst allowing the string quartet, Sotho, Lavinia, Anna, Mark, Jason, Luigi and other collaborators the space to put their mark on it. The album art, by San Francisco-based collage artist Nina Theda Black, captures the depth and breadth of themes and sounds we brought together to create a kind of motion in your mind.”
If this was John-Paul’s intention he surely succeeded, and the results are an album of sublime tunes and dark and dreamy lyrics. It would be unfair to pigeon hole the album as it transcends genres, stimulating the listeners senses and making you hark back to songs you may have listened to over the years. The band has created a record of inventiveness and flair.
Helicon is:
John-Paul Hughes
Gary Hughes
Graham Gordon
Mike Hastings
Mark McClure
Billy Docherty
Seb Jonsen
God Intentions by Helicon is out now on Fuzz Club Records
October – On tour with Acid Rooster (details to be announced)
14th October – The Victoria, Dalston
26th October – The Piper, St Leonards
https://heliconglasgow.bandcamp.com/album/god-intentions
https://www.facebook.com/HeliconGlasgow
