Name: Noctiluca
Brand: Helms Alee

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

SH204CD

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Colour

Colour details

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Digipack.

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Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2019-04-26

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Cargo

Tax rate GB

Standard:20

UPC / Barcode

634457897625

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Total Cap

1 / CD / Extended format: No / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No

SH205LP

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Download code: Yes

634457897618

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1 / Extended format: No / LP / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No

Artist

Helms Alee

Genre GB

Psychedelic

Label GB

Sargent House

Helms Alee is a Seattle three-piece formed in 2007 by

Sargent House is an American management company and record label based in Los Angeles. Founded in June 2006 by a665884, it has become a prominent force in the music industry. With a diverse roster of talented artists, Sargent House continues to push boundaries and redefine genres.
With a focus on nurturing creativity and supporting artistic vision, Sargent House has gained a reputation for its commitment to quality music. The label's dedication to its artists is evident through their hands-on approach, providing guidance and resources to help them thrive.
From alternative rock to experimental sounds, Sargent House represents a wide range of musical styles. Their eclectic roster includes some of the most innovative acts in the industry today. Whether you're looking for established favorites or exciting new discoveries, Sargent House has something for everyone.

After more than a decade of existence, five studio albums, and a slew of EPs, it’s easy to imagine Helms Alee continuing on in perpetuity as one of those tightly-guarded artists with an extensive catalog of treasures just waiting for the uninitiated to discover the depths of their riches. But things are going to change with the release of their fifth album, Noctiluca; the album continues Helms Alee’s tradition of blending girthy sludge riffs, deceptively clever compositions, lush instrumentation, and transcendental melodies into a potent standalone sound and proves why the band has rightfully stuck around all these years.

Starting with album opener Interachnid, Helms Alee displays their multifaceted approach with Hozoji Matheson-Margullis's eight-armed drum patterns underpinning thunderous walls of fuzz distortion provided by bassist Dana James and guitarist Ben Verellen, with Verellen’s barrel-chested roar serving as a counterpoint to the siren song vocals provided by Mathenson-Margullis and James. The balance between knuckle-dragging force and transcendent beauty fluctuates throughout the record, with songs like Beat Up operating on single-minded aggression, while songs like Pandemic completely eschew the heavy-handed approach in favour of blissed out dream pop. Spider Jar still sounds like the more subdued side of Helms Alee in many ways—jangling Jazzmaster guitars and tom-heavy drum patterns set against soaring vocals—but never before has the band sounded so authoritative with such straightforward arrangements. Inspired by the bioluminescent marine algae of the same name, Noctiluca pays tribute to the oceanic themes that has pervaded Helms Alee's music. The marine reference is perhaps the closest approximation to their sound: mysterious, magical, and providing light in the darkness. Helms Alee have always been able to jump between the sublime and the savage, but with the aid of producer / engineer Sam Bell (Minus the Bear, R.E.M., The Cars), the band pushes their various methods to new extremes on Noctiluca.

Noctiluca

Music GB