The Helio Sequence

John Vanderslice and Flying Saucer Attack proved that home recordings could be just as layered and rich as anything recorded in a "real" studio. The Helio Sequence's expansive sound comprises engulfing atmospheres, swirling melodies and propulsive rhythms, and the band's psychedelic flavorings lend the music a deliciously heady quality reminiscent of early Madchester bands such as the Stone Roses and Primal Scream. Fans of Mercury Rev will also appreciate the outfit's ability to combine buoyant, soaring song structures with paradoxically somber subject matter. Ultimately, the act's strength is not in pop hooks or conventional song structure so much as in creating lush textures that dance playfully about in your head. The Helio Sequence may be a purveyor of lo-fi space rock, but its loopy, day-glo songs refuse to color inside the lines.