The Helicopters fly to a new peak with their album Sizing Up the Distance, a set far removed from its predecessor How to Fake Fall Asleep. That album was driven by the electronics; this time around the band put the electronics at the service of the songs. And that’s not the only difference, for Distance is sized up by subtlest of measures, and drawn with a palette of pastels.

Many of the numbers begin with soft musical passages that gradually coalesce into lush fields, building on ever more propulsive rhythms. Instruments are added one-by-one, along with rhythms and loops, thickening the sound and creating ever denser textures. Genres imperceptibly shift, and moods gradually change, “Getting Out of Town,” for instance begins with a rubber band-ish loop and tinkling piano, but surprisingly ends in baggie territory staked out by The Farm.

Two of the most inspired transformations are ”Still Silhouettes” and “White Lily No Soul.” The first starts with an aborted phone call, adds a funky bass line and then a human beatbox, seamlessly shifting through disco, pop blues and Latin rhythms. “Lily” takes the concept to the next logical progression – hip-hop, which flips into trip-hop, swans into Swains territory (with an homage to their “No Spine”), and at one point even slips into Duran Duran land.

Every track is carefully calibrated for maximum effect, from the billowing atmospheres on “Restless Minds” to the lovely layered vocals that brighten the retro ‘60s feel of “Headlights.” The Helicopters have discovered an amazing pliability, with their music as the aural equivalent of plasticene, shifting features, moods, and genres with the slightest instrumental, electronic or vocal nudge. The effect is quite fabulous, and so nuanced is it, so supple and subtle the atmospheres and instrumentation, that every listen brings new sounds to the fore. Add lovely melodies, superb vocals, and excellent production that enhances the album’s many moods and extraordinary textures, and The Helicopters have taken off to heights they’d previously only hinted at.

[By: Jo-Ann Greene]

Rating: 5/5

Release date: out now

| Website |