This reissue celebrates the tenth anniversary of The Helio Sequence’s landmark ‘Keep Your Eyes Ahead’ with a full remaster of the original album plus a second album of demos, alternate versions and outtakes from the same era. After three albums and ten years of touring and recording, The Helio Sequence (Brandon Summers and Benjamin Weikel) recorded their most dynamic, extraordinary album. ‘Keep Your Eyes Ahead’ married the Portland duo’s signature layered keyboards and impossibly big guitars with crisp songwriting and a relatively minimalist approach. The finger picking on ‘Shed Your Love’ is backed by exquisite strings and ambient noise but Summers’s serene, self-assured delivery remains front and centre. While songs from the band’s early releases spanned up to seven minutes, even the longest, lushest, catchiest track on ‘Keep Your Eyes Ahead’ (fiery anthem ‘Hallelujah’) clocks in at four and a half minutes, evidence of just how refined their craft had become. Vocals were recorded spontaneously in bedroom closets and living rooms, which may explain the haunting urgency you hear in Brandon’s voice, especially on the driving title track. Produced by the band, ‘Keep Your Eyes Ahead’ confirms in The Helio Sequence an energy and a range that continues to defy narrow categorization. Unapologetic pop and folk meld seamlessly to create songs that are bigger, more epic and polished than anything they’ve ever done. ‘Keep Your Eyes Ahead’ is the sound of a band and a decade-old partnership that’s been invigorated. Double LP includes digital download coupon.
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