New Giddy-Up, Helicopter! reviewed
February 23rd, 2009 by Eric Snider in ReviewsGiddy-Up, Helicopter!: Something that Needs Nothing
A surprising warmth pervades Giddy-Up, Helicopter!’s new CD — surprising in light of the quintet’s propensity for shoegaze and general outward aloofness, in light of a vocal approach that favors a matter-of-fact delivery over emoting. “Tiny Moon,” five tracks in, brushes closest to warm ‘n’ fuzzy with its loping rhythm, luxuriant melody and the cozy vocal interplay of male singer Conner and female counterpart Nikki. Then a crescendo — built around a soaring vocal chant and swell of instruments — that’ll raise the hairs on your neck.
Something that Needs Nothing becomes even more gregarious with the ensuing “Cub Jr.,” an uptempo track that rises and falls in intensity, but never stops climbing toward a climax. “Bones” veers into Brit-style dream-pop, with drummer Ryann lending propulsion and bassist M To The D letting her fingers loose during an instrumental break.
Longtime fans of the Tampa Bay band shouldn’t fret, though. While GUH! has embraced some pop and art-rock elements, they haven’t abandoned their stock-in-trade of droning, hypnotic sequences.
The music’s most beguiling aspect is the layered guitar arrangements imagined and executed by Conner and Nikki: intertwined parts that meld ringing long tones with cascading arpeggios, echo-drenched chords, blasts of fuzz and Edge-esque flourishes. One of the band’s signature conceits is to pull back on the reins, delve into a thoughtful, even pensive, guitar interlude, and then re-marshal the energy, gradually revving back into the song structure. These sequences can be considerably more interesting than standard-issue guitar solos.
Something that Needs Nothing does occasionally lapse into numbing repetitiveness, and sometimes the band’s overall remove can come off as just a tad precious, but in the end this 11-song set shows maturity, growth and, probably best of all, artistic ambition.
A tip: Turn it up. Some of the nuance gets lost at lower volumes. (It’s Not a Monster Records, myspace.com/giddyuphelicopter)
—Eric Snider
Check out more CL coverage of Giddyup, Helicopter!
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