Album Reviews

Sinderlyn

Homeshake is the ever-evolving recording project of Canadian singer/songwriter, Peter Sagar. What started out as a guitar-laden indie-pop project has morphed beautifully over three previous albums into the dreamy, R&B influenced lo-fi pop of his recent output. Following on from 2017’s much-lauded Fresh Air, the Montreal artist settles into another molten, woozy masterclass with Helium. His fourth studio album is a dreamy, playful and intimate affair that breezes along at its own laidback pace. Padded tones, drifting synths, elongated pads, Casio basslines and fluttering electronics combine to create a warm and fuzzy aesthetic that settles in your belly. The gauzy production, hazy textures and warmth of the record perfectly match Sagar’s lilting vocals and the slowly evolving tempo of the record. Recorded and mixed by Sagar, this record has a deeply personal feel that explores themes of isolation. But it also gives the Canadian the freedom to explore his own fancies, a move that typically finds him delving into experimentalism and immersive escapism. The whole record feels like an escape into a parallel world; one that looks and feels different, but still has the same memories and emotions as our own. His most confident and expressive album to date, Helium is the clearest and most cohesive execution of Homeshake’s vision yet. Unpredictable, experimental and idiosyncratic, but warm, inviting and accessible, this is an artist who isn’t hemmed in by expectations, trends or genres. Long may that continue.