Helms Alee : "Keep This Be the Way"

 There is more of a storming drive to the electronic pump of the opening track. They had begun to sound more like Gold, and the same can be said of this album to some extent, given the fact Gold has changed as well. This album is more experimental, and the vocals are not the vehicle for melody all the time, though they lock into a more aggressive sludge attack by the time we get halfway into the second song. This anchors there songwriting more and gives the needed dynamic to make for a more compelling listen. The same cannot be said about the more atmospheric "How Do You Party Hard ? " which wanders in it's atmosphere in a manner more like Blonde Redhead , never exploding in the way we might hope for. Even then it does grow on me more with the second listen and I can appreciate what the guitars are going for.  

The sonic temper tantrum that is "Tripping Up the Stairs" doesn't come together until the proggy howl of the last minute. It is a interesting exploration of sound and I appreciate the experimentation paying off in that way, which is all I am really asking for when bands go off on tangents. The male vocals have improved since the last album. There is more to his singing on "Big Louise". Even if it is a dramatic space ballad. Synths play a bigger role than guitars.  Comparisons can be drawn to Kylesa, with the psychedelic moods on songs such as "Do Not Expose to the Burning Sun" which from a song writing perspective is one of the album's best songs. The melodies are hypnotic but melodic. It builds into the kind of sonic heaviness I am always seeking in my music. Things get heavy in a more conventional sludge way. The indie rock strum of the one minute "the Middle Half" is more of an interlude than an actual song so will not be counted in the final grade of this review. 

Then there are moments when they step away from their wheel house and go off into the kind of  pop that a cult from the 60s might have made. This winds it's way into being some sort of drugged out take on stoner shoe gaze. The hook forms what might be a chorus if this was written in a more conventional  manner.  They take a more grunge tinged crunch on the brooding bass driven "Three Cheeks to the Wind" . This is very pleasing to my ears and fans of more obscure 90s rock bands will also appreciate this song.  There is more atmosphere and less drive to the last song, which still has a impending storm vibe that keeps you entranced. I will round this one down to a 9, which is still better than most , even when the band is not as focused and wandering into chaotic sounds. This album comes out April 29th,