Albums by this artist

The Swimmer (2000)

Helms

The Swimmer

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» KEVIN MAURER | STAFF WRITER

Helms The Swimmer Kimchee, 2000 RiYL: Karate, June of 44, Blonde Redhead

This album teeters on the fine line between artsy music and pretentious crap, and more often than not falls on the crap side. The songs never get going, and the tone of the album drips of forced minimalism. With an album full of tired images and pop culture references (GI Joe, star wars figures, Pac Man -- "He played Pac Man in Italy"), Helms fails to put together any sort of emotional thread. The Swimmer seems to meander aimlessly, never finding a groove.

The press release describes the album with lines like "the songs ask questions and demand attention," and "The band leaves no stone unturned in their quest to find beauty in the strangest of places." Not true. This is a band in need of a guiding hand. The songs are all over the place, and they rely too much on studio tricks and samples, like a sample of the sound effects from the arcade game Galaga (which could be cool except that it is too prominent in the mix).

As the album progresses, the band's use of space becomes too much of a crutch. More times than not,the music seems to fall into a hole, and all that can be heard is Sean McCarthy's vocals, which he speaks more than he sings. The lyrics are not strong, and this whole album is burdened by the band's preoccupation with itself and its ability to manipulate the studio.

This album is what happens when good musicians turn to navel staring. Their skill is very apparent, but they tend to to prolong jams of songs that are not the least bit dynamic, and they fail to adhere to the notion that "less is more." If you are into long pauses and long instrumentals where every band member sounds like he/she is jamming, then this may be right up your alley. Otherwise, pass on it.

KEVIN MAURER |