“Repeater” fares vastly better than its predecessor. This jam portion of the song thankfully doesn’t last long, giving way to a much prettier instrumental melody before winding down to make way for the much better songs to come. The song starts out with a disconcertingly forthright dub/electro/harmonica hootenanny, topped by soulful vocal stylings that sound like they were borrowed from the mouth of Bryan Adams or John Cougar Mellencamp. This is a shame, because the rest of the record is really good and a careless listener could easily get the wrong idea by judging the record on its introductory track alone. One hates to be a naysayer concerning such a versatile and spirited instrument as the harmonica, but whoever chose the too-aptly titled “Harmonica Song” as the opener to this album made the unfortunate choice of priming listeners’ anticipatory ears with what turns out to be the weakest song on the disc. It is pleasant because it is effortlessly pretty without being cloying or desperate for attention.įor all of its pleasantness, however, Love and Distance is not a package that comes without a few significant pitfalls, and unfortunately for listeners, one of the biggest boo boo’s occurs at the beginning of the record. Pleasant in that it would make for a good soundtrack to a long drive out of the city with a car full of friends, or switching on the record player while making coffee and eggs for your sweetheart after a lazy morning in bed. It may not entirely seem like a compliment to call a record pleasant, but understand that I mean it in the most positive sense of the word. Happily, most of the songs on their new record, Love and Distance, do just that, making their follow up to 2001’s Young Effectuals a very pleasant record to listen to. At once airy and dense, coy and flagrant, antique and contemporary, the Helio Sequence are at their best when their psychedelic songs incorporate disparate sounds, themes, and arrangements. But where Quasi relies on a well-orchestrated synthesis to execute their cute and clever tunes, the Helio Sequence chases the tense beauty that comes through the careful combination of paradoxical elements. Brandon Summers and Benjamin Weikel of the Helio Sequence follow the Quasi school of dual adroitness to similarly successful ends. Buoyant keyboards, athletic drumming, sweet harmonies, and cynical lyrics all combine in perfect proportion to hit the sweet spot of pop perfection again and again. Quasi, on the other hand, plays as if two were the magic number. The White Stripes also seems to have some size-anxiety, trying too hard to please by combining simple beats with ready-to-order, hyper-stylized noodling à la Jimmy Page. A band like Lightning Bolt seems to apologize for the size of their line-up, overcompensating for only having two members by bombarding listeners with stomach-clenching noise and arrhythmic clatter. This is true for a lot of two-piece acts - Lightning Bolt comes to mind, as do the ubiquitous White Stripes and fellow Portland outfit Quasi. Portland-based band the Helio Sequence want their songs to be a lot of things - poppy, atmospheric, layered, complex - but most obviously, they want their sound to be greater than the sum of its parts. Chambord's the most likely liqueur, but there are other options available as well.Nomber_key:000785 Purple Haze - A fun and simple twist on the Cape Cod, you simply need to add a splash of black raspberry liqueur to the mix to create the cranberry version of the Purple Haze.You can also serve this fun cocktail 'up' in a cocktail glass, on the rocks, or as a party shot. It traditionally returns to a clear vodka, but use the flavor of your choice. Woo Woo - If you love that peach-cranberry combination in the Jolly Rancher, you'll love the Woo Woo.This time, however, you'll choose your favorite apple vodka and toss in a little peach schnapps to make it taste like the famous candy. Jolly Rancher - A very fun rendition of the Cape Cod, here we return to the refreshing spiked juice combo on the rocks.It returns to that simple two-ingredient recipe we love in the highball, though it shakes things up and is served in a cocktail glass. Crantini - This 'up' drink combines the easy of the Cape Cod with the style of the Cosmopolitan.All you need to add to the mix is an orange liqueur and a touch of lime. It's a simple way to enjoy the duo in a fancier form and you can sweeten it as much as you like with the juice. Cosmopolitan - Without a doubt, the Cosmo is the most popular vodka-cranberry martini around.
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