Album Review: Homeshake - Helium

"Homeshake? Oh yeah, I had a thing with this skater who always used to always put those albums on. Pretty chill, good background noise, y'know? I can't really listen to it anymore since they ghosted me though."

Not to throw an entire fanbase under the bus in the first paragraph or anything, but it's almost impossible to discuss the music of Homeshake's Peter Sagar without hearing a sob story like that one.

With its wobbly instrumentals, drugged-out R&B masonry and sensitive falsettos, you can see why his work has become Chicken Soup For The Soul to anyone in a tiny beanie or covered in shitty stick and poke tattoos. 

As for Helium, Sagar's latest release, it's an album. You can listen to it, it's alright. The main problem here is that most of these tracks feel like the indie equivalent of lounge music rather than proper songs. Sagar has definitely had some good tunes in the past that fit this one-note mould, but on Helium it feels like he's become a little too comfortable with his own formula for mood music.

Super-fans of bedroom pop may find some 'chill vibes' in Helium, but for everyone else, there's nothin' to see here, folks.