177: herbal tea - Seventeen
It's no huge surprise to hear that the songs which make up Helena Walker's debut album under her herbal tea moniker, existed first and foremost as "late night" demos; fuzzy and clouded shapes caught in the half-light. 'Seventeen', the album's lead single, hovers in that same form, somewhat shapeless and unwhole, a stirring of emotions that might well need the clarity of day to bring them fully to life.
Drifting through this form for six-and-a-half beautiful minutes, the track is a wholly captivating next-step from the Bristol-based artist, one that sees Walker bring together Orindal Records (Gia Margaret, Wednesday) and the Bristol DIY Gold Day Records (Little Kid, Oliver Wilde) for the release of the nine-song LP, Hear as the Mirror Echoes, which is released at the very end of August.
Citing Sharon Van Etten and Sparklehorse as key influences, Helena finds a hazy mid-point between both of those artists more spacious moments, smoothing out the creases between lofi, folk, and a drawn-out, foggy take on dream-pop. There are, of course, plenty of labels you can place upon it but here, more than ever before, it feels distinctly like her own sound, pulled from the night and shaped over time to create something woozy and melancholy.
Pre-order is available now, via the herbal tea Bandcamp page, with the full album released on August 29th. Check out 'Seventeen' via it's suitably alluring video below right now.
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