37 Houses – Helium

The alternative music scene has thrived in recent years, with many outstanding artists and bands delivering some of the finest works this genre has witnessed in years. For some listeners, this might be another peak of the genre since the nineties, an era when alternative, grunge, and indie arguably sounded the best. However, only a few music outlets are capable of capturing the true essence of alternative rock while simultaneously bringing something new to the table. If you paid attention to what’s happening on the scene right now, then you’ll notice how many of them mimic each other, recreate something the greats recorded and released decades ago, or just simply try to reinvent the same old wheel, existing on old laurels. Thankfully, there are bands like 37 Houses who are always up for delivering something fresh, unique, innovative, and exciting, all while staying true to their roots. “Helium,” one of their latest pieces of work, not only exemplifies their dedication to the craft but also showcases their tremendous songwriting, composing, arranging, and producing abilities. Serving as another preview of their upcoming second full-length album, this song, like many others from this material, serves as a journal of lead singer Erin Sydney and guitarist Jeremy Rosenblum’s marriage. Lyrically, this composition is packed with sharp lyricism, where each verse and chorus are delivered with such passion, heart, and soul. Sonically, 37 Houses exists at the intersection of several different yet complementary music subgenres, but all of them are beautifully merged together, making it a signature sound of this incredible band. Perhaps alternative rock comes to mind first, as the band incorporated all the fundamental elements of the genre in each section of the song, but do not be surprised if you stumble upon some of the finest properties borrowed from grunge, indie rock, indie pop, shoegaze, and other similar styles. Each sonic ingredient, layer, detail, and nuance has its place and purpose here, making this composition such a pleasant listening experience worth repeating over and over again.

As soon as you press play, you’ll notice how much time and effort 37 Houses invested into this composition. The song arrives with a perfect structure, decorated with many profoundly detailed segments, brilliant ideas, and outstanding musicianship. Erin Sydney’s soulful, passionate, emotive, confident, and powerful vocal performance serves as a centerpiece, uplifting the entire song to an entirely new level, commanding attention, and guiding listeners through every segment. From calm, soothing, ethereal vocal harmonies to more high-pitched lines, her beautiful voice seamlessly balances low, mid, and high notes with such precision and finesse. Besides decorating every segment and orchestration, her voice also contributes more than necessary emotional depth and complexity to an already intricate song structure. In the meantime, the guitars shape a perfect backdrop for all the vocals to shine upon. Whether delivering almost jangly, angular, polished chord progressions during the verses or heavily distorted riffs during choruses, this instrument plays a significant role in this sonic equation. Each strum over the strings, harmony, and melody is vividly hearable in the mix, making this song even more detailed and powerful. There’s a subtle touch of studio reverb, giving an omnipresent sense of greater space, like the guitars have been recorded in a hall or very big room, yet it doesn’t overwhelm vocals or other instruments. Quite the contrary, it only contributes to the fuller, detailed, lush sound of this composition. If you pay attention, you’ll also notice a flanger effect on one of the guitar channels. Such a clever addition that separates guitars and makes things even more interesting. Instead of going the safe route and keeping the bass guitar clean and polished, the band has added a generous serving of distortion for a more raw, abrasive, and aggressive sound that perfectly complements the guitars. Yet, there’s more than enough warmth, depth, clarity, and heaviness added through these gritty low-end notes, perfectly rounding the sound without overwhelming the remainder of the instrumentation. It’s also good to mention that this instrument also serves as a binding element between guitars and rhythmic patterns while keeping the song as groovy as possible. The impressive drumming performance, based upon moderate, cleverly arranged, flawlessly performed, well-accentuated beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics, keeps the instruments together in line while dictating groove and pace. Each hit of the snare, kick of the bass drum, accentuation over the hi-hat, splash over the cymbals has its place and purpose here, making “Helium” even more dynamic.

“Helium” is a modern alternative rock masterpiece that also carries all those qualities that made you fall in love with nineties rock in the first place. From outstanding vocal performance and lush guitar works to intricate basslines and impressive drumming, this composition contains everything you ever needed from a catchy, memorable, fascinating alternative rock song. If you love your rock soulful, melodic, raw, and groovy, “Helium” will be right up your alley. Do not miss this fine piece of sonic artistry, because it will instantly become a staple on your playlist.