Customer Reviews

Helioself

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bonded very fast and hard with the intriguing blend of pop styles on this disc. They help re-define pop for the 90s without resorting to the grunge and punk tactics used by other "pop" groups. Vaguely like a cross between the B-52s, Talking Heads, a normally aspirated Human League, and early Pink Floyd with a nautical fixation, these guys are doing some things I've not heard elsewhere these days. Their songwriting and playing have definitely improved over their previous album (though I love the song "Kids Don't Mind" on the eponymous first one). "Small Rooms" is about as catchy a pop song as you can imagine, and the song "Live By The Water" has a warm fuzzy feeling like a cross between CSNY's "Our House" and Poi Dog Pondering's "Spending The Day In The Shirt You Wore." Not only are their melody lines and rhythms infectious, but their lyrics are really quite intriguing as well - they paint some very vivid pictures in surprisingly few words. The story behind "Captain Of The City" is captivating, and "Words To Sing" is remarkably anthemic. They are clearly not all equally skilled as musicians, but that hardly matters. Shivika Asthana may not be Neil Peart on drums, but she needn't be. She's more like Ringo: her technique isn't perfect, but her style is. What she plays she plays honestly, and it ends up being more perfect for the song than any number of rapid-fire, syncopated fills could ever hope to be. Another interesting element of their vibe is the perceived unity of the group: all three of them sing and play with equal pertinence and presence, and many of their songs are sung and written seemingly from a group perspective, giving a feel of a very tight family. This is a very important factor in the presence of this album for me. Produced and recorded entirely by the band in their own studio, this album , to me, represents the pinnacle of what an amazingly creative DIY band can do. I can only hope to achieve this level of craftsnship in my own songs and production.

Instead of become more mature sounding, Papas Fritas take a step back and sound like songs right out of Sesame Street. Good anthems, Thin Lizzy stylings and plenty of la-la-la choruses. Its happy music that will make you sad and vice versa. Worth buying!

Great sound, great songs, infectious melodies... I *love* this album! I just bought a second copy so I could listen at work and at home.

this album can only be described as really fun listening. it may not be an indie rock classic or groundbreaking music but it's fun and any album with handclaps gets 5 stars from me.

There are epics, there are anthems, and there are eencie weencie ditties. The latter are packed tightly in this 35-minute blip in the radar of pop-rock. The songs are as catchy and occasionally inane as a whole album of Blur's "Song Two" (or whatever #, sorry), and as most are less than three-minutes each they meld together into a kind of nondescript ball o' fun. Yes, it's enjoyable, and even refreshingly varied, but a classic must be more substantial.

This band is a refreshing change of pace from the usual, cranky alternative rockers... Their music is catchy, intelligent, and fun. Their lyrics are true poetry. This album is a must!

Music this cutesy can be awfully trite, but luckily, this trio's talent for pop craft matches their enormously child-like sense of wonder. Helioself is filled with generally spare arrangements, quirky instrumentation and soring vocal hamonies that recall everything from the Beatles to Sonny and Cher. It's pretty easy to imagine these songs in the background during reruns of The Electric Company or a Strawberry Shortcake cartoon. In most hands, that would be irritatingly drossy, but Papas Fritas fill their songs with enough melodies and hooks to make it work. It may be too sweet for some, but sugar pop hasn't sounded this good since the glory days of Redd Kross.

You could never mistake this album for a classic, but I think it is a must-have for its inoffensive charms. In this day of garbage-can kitsch, Papas Fritas takes a more literal approach, recreating to a tee the bubble-gum sheen of the 70s. I swear I hear the Partridge Family in there somewhere! Interestingly, the standout hit "Hey Hey, You Say"sounds quite original to my ears, with its minimalist arrangement and spooky musicbox backdrop. While the album may eventually prove to be disposable, that single should always be close at hand. Incidentally, if you ever get the chance to see them, they are a great act. Luckily, they're in my back yard.

sick off angst ridden boring tripe--this is the album for you