Reviews

Artist: Citizen Helene
EP: Citizen Helene
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 4
Website: http://www.citizenhelene.com/

So, you like harmonies? Proper sixties Beach Boys style harmonies? And, how about strings? Two violins, a viola and a cello - a proper quartet? You do? Excellent, but you want sugary sweet lyrics as well? Sorry, maybe the debut EP 'Citizen Helene' from Citizen Helene is not for you after all.

It is not that her lyrics are particularly callous (although telling someone you don't love them as a post script - 'P.S. I Don't Love You - may seem so) it is just that they pull no punches when speaking of life's harsh emotional realities. 'Sunday Morning Light' and ''Til Tomorrow' both capture the pain of leaving or leaving a loved one. 'Stephen Fry' could be played for fun; a man wishing that Fry would "…make an exception tonight" (to sleep with his girlfriend) has certain comedic value, but the song is much deeper than that. He desperately hopes that if she had a night of passion with "the apple of [her] eye" it would solve all their problems.

The combination of words, melodies and arrangements make for this beautiful piece of work and I hope it will be followed up with a full length album in the not too distant future.

John 'The Jacket' Hawes

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