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.
Not U
HOMESHAKE Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Could have sworn it's been a minute now that I've been gone
Everybody's tossing bottles; making quite a scene
Yeah, I guess it's okay if you want to talk with me
How it could have been, doesn't matter now
What you would have seen, wasn't anyhow
It turned out in the end
But it doesn't matter what you do
Because I love her
Not you
Not you
Not you
Not you
Staring daggers like you think that it could change a thing
Like you hate it, like her being here drives you insane
Maybe you should take a walk and figure what to do
Hope that this'll be the last time I'll hide pain from you
How it could have been, doesn't matter now
What you would have seen, wasn't anyhow
It turned out in the end
And you wanted to stay friends
But it doesn't matter what you do
Because I love her
Not you
The song "Not U" by HOMESHAKE is about a painful and uncomfortable encounter between two people who used to be close, but now one of them has moved on and found love with someone else. The lyrics describe the singer's attempts to navigate this awkward situation, as the other person is clearly resentful and struggling to accept that the singer has moved on. The chorus, which repeats the line "Not you" multiple times, underscores the central message of the song: that the singer's love is focused solely on their new partner, and the other person is no longer a part of their life in that way.
The opening lines of the song set the scene for the encounter, which is taking place in a crowded place with people throwing bottles and causing a commotion. The singer takes a moment to collect themselves, recognizing that it has been some time since they last saw the other person. Despite the tension in the air, the singer is willing to engage in conversation and try to make peace.
The rest of the song is devoted to the chorus and several verses that explore the singer's feelings about the situation. They are resigned to the fact that "how it could have been" no longer matters, as the other person's opinion or possible projection doesn't change past events or feelings. They are content with the way things turned out, but are admittedly uncomfortable with the other person's behavior. Despite the other person's efforts to "stare daggers" and make the situation worse, the singer encourages them to take a step back and consider their actions.
Overall, "Not U" is a song that explores the complicated emotions that arise after a break-up, and the ways in which people try to navigate these difficult situations.
Line by Line Meaning
Wait a minute let me try and screw my head back on
I need a moment to collect my thoughts and emotions before I continue this conversation.
Could have sworn it's been a minute now that I've been gone
I feel like I've been away for a while and things have changed since I left.
Everybody's tossing bottles; making quite a scene
People around us are causing a lot of noise and disturbance.
Yeah, I guess it's okay if you want to talk with me
I'm willing to have a conversation with you, even in this chaotic environment.
How it could have been, doesn't matter now
There's no point in dwelling on how things could have been different, because it's too late to change them now.
What you would have seen, wasn't anyhow
Even if things had gone differently, it wouldn't have made a significant impact on the present moment.
It turned out in the end
Despite any previous obstacles, things have worked out and progressed forward.
And you wanted to be friends
You expressed a desire to continue our relationship in a friendly manner.
But it doesn't matter what you do
Regardless of your actions or intentions, I have chosen someone else over you.
Because I love her
I have strong feelings for this other person that I cannot deny or ignore.
Not you
Unfortunately, those feelings do not extend to you.
Not you
I want to emphasize that my love is not directed towards you in any way.
Not you
I want to clarify without a doubt that my feelings belong to someone else and not you.
Not you
It's important to me that you understand that you are not the object of my affection.
Staring daggers like you think that it could change a thing
You're looking at me with intense gazes, as if your stare alone could influence my decision.
Like you hate it, like her being here drives you insane
You seem to strongly dislike the fact that this other person is present and it's affecting your mental state.
Maybe you should take a walk and figure what to do
Perhaps you should step away and assess how you feel about the situation and how to move forward.
Hope that this'll be the last time I'll hide pain from you
I'm hoping that this will be the final instance where I have to conceal my emotional distress from you.
Writer(s): Peter Sagar
Contributed by Brody W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.