Helmsley – deadlock
Helmsley’s newest album, deadlock, is a patchwork of sound and samples, an unpredictable ride that is a testament to the talented musician’s prowess that has been mastered by years of basement tinkering and collaborations.
Written, performed and produced by Buffalo-based musician, Bran Schlia, the album features track after track of experimental sound. The 16-song album is a winding road through different genres and sampling techniques, at times reminiscent of The Avalanches. Schlia has been a stalwart in the local music scene for close to two decades at this point, lending production hands to numerous artists in his Steak and Cake Records studio, curating DIY shows on the West Side, producing and writing films via Headshrinker Studios, and jumping in and out of various bands throughout his tenure with stints in the Malones, CLUMP, and Headbutt to name a very few (this list would be in the dozens, but we will keep it short).
A standout on deadlock was the power of a delayed beat drop and chord shift, which left the listener in anticipation where each song was going. Schlia expressed that this album was the result of his desire to reconcile his production side, or the “sound guy” as he put it, melding with his singer/songwriter persona. Each track on deadlock is a showcase of his ability to pull a variety of different sounds to create a piece that may not seem like it would work on paper, but somehow does in its own kitschy way.
The beginning of deadlock starts you off with a more rock-forward sound with “Bad News Phone Call,” however, that quickly devolves into the more eerie sounding interlude of the next two songs, “Afternoon Dog Dreams,” and “$Woa!$.”
Another noteworthy track on the release was the fourth song on the album, “In the Wilderness of my Obsession.” “Wilderness” offers a bit of a departure from the first three songs, which were a bit more intense and experimental, switching to a more melancholic sound. The second half of the song is particularly gripping, with an especially notable guitar sequence.
Another album standout was “(Cl)over,” a song reminiscent of the Midwest emo sound, with a loud, cracking snare bolstering angsty lyrics. deadlock continues with “Kate’s Memory,” which delves deeper into that moody tone from “(Cl)over” while simultaneously building an underlying sense of dread and drama with it. “Jimmie Wing,” too, builds on dark moods and feelings as it deceives you with its acoustic beginnings, but quickly crescendos into a catchy interpolation of Schlia’s rebellion with the declaration, “I’m not signing that contract!”
“22 Miles to Davenport” is one of the strongest songs on the album. It features the mid-song disrupting chord switch, a nice mix of different instruments and production tools, and lyrics that have you feeling like you’re ready for a change. With a poppier styling over a trippy beat, it provides just the refreshing tinge of optimism needed to bring this album together.
As expected from a Bran Schlia project, deadlock has a bit of everything for anyone and showcases the multi-hyphenates prowess and chameleon production that has been practiced and mastered throughout his tenure. It has touches of folk, pop, rock, and hints of electronica. For listeners looking for an amalgamation from a super-producer’s repertoire, deadlock may be the right deep dive for you.
Categorised in: Album of the Week
This post was written by Jessica Wikander