Glasgow’s psychedelic generals Helicon return with their third album, God Intentions. Once again releasing on one of my absolute favourite labels, Fuzz Club, the band are promising their most ambitious, collaborative and psychedelic record to date. For those of you new to the band they were formed in 2011 by brothers John-Paul and Gary Hughes in East Kilbride. Signing to Fuzz Club in 2017 they have since released an incredible amount of music, three singles, nine EPs, three studio albums and a Fuzz Club live session album to be precise. These days the band consists of the Hughes brothers, Graham Gordon, Mike Hastings, Mark McLure, Billy Docherty and Seb Jonsen.
On the subject of the new album John-Paul had this to say.
“‘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.”
The album emerges from the eternal nothingness, like a signal from the edge of the universe with opening track ‘Dark Matter’. An instrumental piece full of menace and foreboding. It’s screeching feedback and pulsating rhythm resolve back to silence before the album bursts into life.
‘Flume’ gives us our first taste proper of what God Intentions is all about, the juxtaposition of the darkness of this subject matter against the utter joyous music. This has all the fun of the fair; the whirling organ is utterly triumphant. The swooping guitars adding texture whilst the rhythm section keep it tight at the back.
As the album moves into ‘Château H’ it becomes immediately obvious that this band are no one trick ponies. Oh god no, not by a long chalk. What opens as disco driven guitar anthem suddenly evolves into eastern flavoured magic carpet ride. We’re transported into orbit and soaring through the cosmos. The violin pulls off some serious riffs, the kind you’d normally expect from screaming guitar solo. It’s that experimental approach that makes this band and this album. More on that as we go on.
A gentle tabla and sitar intro bloom into this forward leaning rhythm that carries us into ‘Heliconia’. Guitar picks up the mantle and cosmic vibes ensue lifting this song into and another place. Bass walks around in the spaces between picking out the melody and holding it down. More and more textures join the throng before the song absolutely explodes into lightspeed. The unmistakable vocals of Lavinia Blackwall creating a wailing wall of pitch perfect tones that drive this song into memory. This is going to be setting off mosh pits wherever it’s played live.
Giving us a breather next is the sedate and serene ‘Disobey’. The watery lead guitar warbling against the sumptuous lolling bassline is utterly compelling and transportive. Layer that up with the sweeping string section and sitar punctuating the verses and you have what could be the theme music for a euro art film. Every song is inhabiting its own place within the world of God Intentions, yet all sound at home together. None more so than this vignette.
After that small detour we return to the grand lysergic soundscapes of ‘Zen Roller’. The fuzzed-out guitars shoegaze wall of sound makes this an absolute must to experience in headphones. It’s like the guitars are swirling around your head, rattling about your skull. The treated vocals add an extra dimension of “outthereness” is that a word? If it isn’t I’m insisting on it being added to the dictionary next to a photo of Helicon. I’m a big fan of fake stops too. When the song returns the organ ramps up and the maelstrom intensifies not receding until the song climaxes.
‘Whiplash’ maintains the momentum with some really tasty slide guitar work. Whilst only a short number it fairly packs a punch. The riff is absolutely massive and leaves you crying out for more.
It’s the turn of the title track next which takes the feeling of melancholia and slowly evolves it into something epic. We start off quietly enough with a sombre piano refrain before that trademark wall of noise appears ushering in a sympathetic guitar line. When those pauses, full of static and chaos, come around you feel yourself lift and held motionless. That feeling of being completely at the mercy of the music, it’s overwhelming and addictive. I always find myself skipping back to enjoy it just one more time.
‘Last Tango in Glasgow’ is the albums ballad, a beautiful melody to a slow shuffle. It sends you to a smoke-filled dance hall at the end of the night. Whiskey on your breath as you take one last turn around the floor. Again, the band make use of some really interesting sonic textures to make this song something really special.
If you’ve been following Helicon for a while, you’ll know the previous single ‘Tae the Moon’. It’s a full rework of ‘We’re Gaun Tae the Moon’ from their 2015 Gehenna EP. Whilst that guitar riff remains as majestic the song now has a really spacey vibe, like it’s been hit with gamma rays and has started to hulk out. This feels like a technicolour trip at lightspeed into another dimension. The band are throwing everything into the mix creating a sonic whirlwind that blows your mind. Phew, that was one wild ride.
The band bid us farewell with one last tone poem at the end of this rainbow. ‘Starlounger’ closes things off in a celebratory but gentle way as Helicon head off into the cosmos.
In God Intentions Helicon have demonstrated what a collaborative and exploratory approach to making music can achieve. They make the complex feel like child’s play when it’s anything but. That level of ease comes from their collective years of experience, undoubtedly, but it also comes from having trust in each other, and their collaborators to follow the vision. To honour the songs and where they lead. In doing so they have created something truly unique and special.
God Intentions is out now on Fuzz Club and is available on gold nugget vinyl.
You can follow Helicon on social media here…
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