The airy dreaminess of Helena's sound works really well. It reminds me of many indie singer-songwriters from the late 90s. The vocals are harmonized in a manner not unlike Azure Ray, with an undercoating of country haunting a song like "Spring Bug". The lyrics are introspective and pretty interesting. She takes a great deal of twists and turns while being somewhat straightforward stylistically. This is not as dark as Phoebe Bridgers nor as Twin Peaks-like as Marissa Nadler, but not far from their emotional zip code. When things get brighter they tend to meander more for her, as can be heard in "Bright Green Vibrant Gray".
By 'Drawbridge" we begin to hear the mood of the album begin to solidify into more of a tangible identity. The vocals are hushed and thoughtful, against a lightly orchestrated backdrop. Things continue on this path until you get to the ambling shadows of "the Animals" that find her whispered vocal reaching out more. It flows really well, as her voice reaches up for notes nearing the top of her fragile register. The song moves more like a lazy river which is going somewhere faster than the previous song.
While most of the songs are slow "Who I Sound Like" is the first that sounds like a ballad to me as it goes to a more vulnerable place. "Swimmer" flows with greater ease though it is a gentler song, that finds her voice flattering like a listless bird. The last song is another dreamy lullaby. I will round this one up to an 8.5, it's pretty solid songwriting with her own identity superimposed on a familiar sound.
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