It’s a feeling that comes through not only in the gauziness of the production, but also in the vulnerability of the songs themselves. Sagar began writing Helium shortly after completing Fresh Air, and in the middle of what he calls a “binge” reading of Haruki Murakami. It’s not hard to picture the narrator of these songs as a distinctly Murakamian character: He moves through time by himself, bemused by and insulated from a world he doesn’t quite seem to have been made for. Everyone Sagar encounters here — including himself — seems to be a step removed from present reality, whether by technology (“Anything At All”), solitude (“Just Like My”), or sweet fantasy (“Like Mariah”). The record is stitched together by a series of instrumental interludes, synthesizer explorations whose haziness adds to the suspicion that this is all an uncanny dream.
Which isn’t to say that Sagar is unmoored in his own world. In fact, much of Helium is the result of what he calls “a much clearer mental state” than the one he’d experienced shortly following Fresh Air’s completion. “I had a better idea of the sound that was working for this record and what it was turning into as I was writing the songs,” he says. That’s owing in part to the album’s genesis. Where his previous three records were recorded directly to one-inch tape in a local studio, Helium was recorded and mixed by Sagar alone in his apartment in Montreal’s Little Italy neighborhood between April and June of this year. Freed of the rigid editing process he’d endured before, he was able to lose himself in pursuit of tone and texture. “I didn’t have to book time, compete for good hours, wait on availability. I did a lot of it at home in the middle of the night,” he says. “It made me get more obsessive about details.”
A budding interest in ambient and experimental music — particularly Visible Cloaks, DJ Rashad, and Jlin — pushed him to tinker with the micro-sounds that surround the songs here. It’s a process he found creatively invigorating; even the tinkling boom-bap of Young Thug informs “All Night Long.” It’s a far cry from the chorus-laden guitars of his earlier work. “Ever since I started introducing synthesizers into my music, I’ve gotten more interested in texture,” he says. “I’d hit a creative dead end [with guitars], so synths took over.” The warm chords of a Roland Juno 60 form the album’s base, and gave him a clean palette with which to work. “No tape hiss, no humming power outlets and shitty mixing boards,” as he puts it. “Everything just came out nice and pure.”
Still, for all the growth it demonstrates and the ways it luxuriates in its discoveries, Helium is at its core a record that isn’t beholden to any particular set of sounds, textures, or instruments to get its point across. In that sense, it feels closer to the bone, at once assured of its vision and remarkably vulnerable. It’s perhaps our purest view yet of Homeshake’s home country.
All Night Long
HOMESHAKE Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Empty out my pockets for a tab to soften up the burn
So I walk in little circles rung around just like a bell
Maybe I could feel better with some people that I know so well
Let me be here all night long
Let me be
Let me be here all night long
Let me be here all night long
Turn another light off
Let me be
Let me be here all
Larry's saying something, Keith is living on a smile
Salu's quiet in the middle, holding on and feeling tired
Well I guess it's been a while, we could probably go home
And I know that she'll be fast asleep and I'll be all alone, oh well
Let me be here all night long
Let me be
Let me be here all night long
Just another night outside
Let me be here all night long
Turn another light off
Let me be
Let me be here all
In the song "All Night Long" by Homeshake, the singer seems to be getting ready to go out but ends up feeling a sense of emptiness. The lyrics "Dressed up like I'm going out, I feel it and I turn / Empty out my pockets for a tab to soften up the burn" suggest that the singer is trying to distract themselves from whatever is bothering them by seeking out some form of solace, perhaps in the form of a substance. There is a sense of restlessness and a desire for escapism that is palpable in these lines.
As the singer navigates through their evening, they find themselves in familiar company. The mention of Larry, Keith, and Salu indicates that they are possibly in the presence of friends or acquaintances. Despite being surrounded by these individuals, there is a lingering feeling of disconnect and loneliness. The lyrics "Well I guess it's been a while, we could probably go home / And I know that she'll be fast asleep and I'll be all alone, oh well" reveal a sense of resignation and acceptance of solitude.
The chorus of the song repeatedly pleads for permission to stay in the present moment: "Let me be here all night long / Let me be / Let me be here all night long." This could be interpreted as a desire to linger in a state of temporary comfort or familiarity, even if it means being outside of one's usual comfort zone. There is a sense of yearning for connection and belonging, as well as a reluctance to confront the inevitable return to solitude.
Overall, "All Night Long" captures the transient nature of human connections and emotions. The juxtaposition of seeking solace in the company of others while also feeling the weight of loneliness creates a poignant portrayal of the complexities of human relationships. The song effectively conveys a mix of emotions - from restlessness and escapism to acceptance and longing - making it a relatable and introspective piece on the intricacies of human existence.
Line by Line Meaning
Dressed up like I'm going out, I feel it and I turn
Putting effort into my appearance, but feeling a change of heart
Empty out my pockets for a tab to soften up the burn
Spending money on something to ease the pain
So I walk in little circles rung around just like a bell
Feeling trapped in repetitive motions like a bell ringing in circles
Maybe I could feel better with some people that I know so well
Seeking comfort in the presence of familiar people
Larry's saying something, Keith is living on a smile
Larry talking, Keith pretending to be happy
Salu's quiet in the middle, holding on and feeling tired
Salu staying silent, feeling exhausted and worn out
Well I guess it's been a while, we could probably go home
Realizing it's been a long time and it's time to leave
And I know that she'll be fast asleep and I'll be all alone, oh well
Anticipating being alone while the other person is asleep
Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB., Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Peter J Sagar
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
J Sindone
Homeshake is a genius. A little playlist for others seeking this level of deep (sexy) chill:
- Jamiroquai - Everyday
- Better Person - Somebody Cares
- Air - Le Soleil Est Pres De Moi
- Lonie Liston Smith - Love Beams
- Badbadnotgood - Chompy's Paradise
- Sade - I Never Thought I'd See the Day
- Massive Attack - Black Milk
- Flying Lotus - Slow it Down
- Toro y Moi - You Hid
- Sparks - Royksopp
- Lone - Breeze Out
J Sindone
Homeshake is a genius. A little playlist for others seeking this level of deep (sexy) chill:
- Jamiroquai - Everyday
- Better Person - Somebody Cares
- Air - Le Soleil Est Pres De Moi
- Lonie Liston Smith - Love Beams
- Badbadnotgood - Chompy's Paradise
- Sade - I Never Thought I'd See the Day
- Massive Attack - Black Milk
- Flying Lotus - Slow it Down
- Toro y Moi - You Hid
- Sparks - Royksopp
- Lone - Breeze Out
Lauren Daryani
Thanks! Check out "The Rip" by Portishead too, it's awesome. (Edit: I guess anything by Portishead could apply, but I especially love this song ☝️)
And also "Houston" by Thom Sonny Green :)
KatowiceStation
Awesome
Pat D
wow very nice list
RAAM 7718
Boards of canada - Tears of the compound eye
Jeremy soule - secunda
Bau Haus
Sparks <3
Drew H
Easily my favorite song on the album. Every other song is dope too, but wow this one is so good.
Conquest15cs
Drew H me too
Don’t Care Tbh
the entire album is 🔥🔥🔥
Steve Berrimen
my god he went full chill