#far in

[yuki93blog]

[theeverlastingshade]

A few weeks ago Helado Negro released his seventh LP, Far In, and it's a much dreamier, and more low-key affair than the dance-leaning singles lead on. Highlight "Hometown Dream" fits within the record's blurry aesthetic and seems to tap into the contemplative headspace that he occupied throughout his 2019 opus, This Is How You Smile. "Hometown Dream" begins with clattering snares laying into an almost motorik groove while the song opens up to reveal the wealth of detail it contains. Helado's warm vocals are treated with just the right amount of reverb to sustain a sense of weightlessness without diminishing their rich timbre.

The hook is subdued, but immediate, and boasts one of Helado's strongest vocal melodies to date. Although the tone is decidedly low-key "Hometown Dream" sidesteps the borderline terminally chill demeanor of some of the record's redundant moments by way of some of the record's most inspired choices. Alongside the tight rythmns "Hometown Dream" contains a wistful keyboard melody, tasteful basslines, and the record's strongest saxophone arrangements, particularly when coupled with the cymbal rhythm throughout it's uplifting coda. FI is a little overstuffed, and not quite as dynamic as his last few records, but it's still another solid record from one of the most consistently rewarding iconoclasts of the last decade.

[adsmusiconstellations]

Helado Negro - There Must Be A Song Like You (Far In, 2021)

Official Video / Buy Here

[mgabrielb]

[theeverlastingshade]

Yesterday Helado Negro released a new single called "Outside the Outside", and it's the second song released from his upcoming seventh LP, Far In. "Outside the Outside" sounds like Helado's approximation of dance music, and it's easily one of the most infectious songs that he's ever released. The song coasts along a bubbly bassline and a simple hi-hat snare rhythm, but despite its simplicity it never manages to grow stale, in large part due to Negro's compelling vocal performance. His singing is gentle, and low in the mix, but imbued with the same warm tone that helped make his 2019 opus, This Is How You Smile, such an engaging record.

Midway through the song cowbells and bright synth lines make their way into the fold giving the composition some nice dimension without detracting from Helado's vocal melody. "Outside the Outside" at first seems somewhat antithetical to Helado's artistry, but like FI's first single, "Gemeni & Leo" it proves to be both an inspired and well executed stylistic shift. Both of the singles released from FI have felt like the flip side to TIHYS's calm interior, and while they don't quite match the life-affirming resolve expressed on every song from that record they showcase a welcome shift in Helado's artistry that he hasn't really fully explored on any previous LP.

[playongivemeexcessofit]

Gemini and Leo 👯‍♂️🦁

The lead single from Helado Negro’s forthcoming album Far In is a swirling synth-washed track of sunshining bliss. Featuring a funky bassline from Jen Wasner of Wye Oak and Flock of Dimes and Helado’s laid back vocals, this is the perfect summer song to dance to on the floor all night. 

[darthemed]

Fuzz Townshend - Far In [1999; Fruition Records]

On his first solo album, Fuzz Townshend turns out a blend of breakbeat, reggae, alternative rock, and a little bit of jazz, with the beat-driven stew sloshing about in a generally upbeat fashion.  For the most part, the songs are built around following a given groove or riff, without much in the way of clever structuring, and development of the track tends to go the way of slipping down a break or reiterating with a few more layers slapped onto the cycle.  The loops tend to be fairly fun and stylish, though, with a vibe that’s clear and crisp without being over-polished, and while that’s not enough to make up for the shallow arrangements, it does make for easier listening.  Neat enough for a diversion, but the flitty songs end up making it feel like an unfinished album.

Here’s the alternate cover art.