If you're only familiar with Bryan Helium -- or rather, Bryan Poole -- from his work with Elf Power, Of Montreal and Great Lakes, you probably think you know what to expect from his solo venture. But here's a news flash: rather than churn out the sort of immature, self-indulgent tweepop that has characterized other post-Elephant 6 solo efforts, BP has concocted a rich and varied assortment, full of polished, sophisticated sounds and cool little details. Perhaps Mr. Helium was hiding his light under a bushel for all his years as a sideman.
Opener "Belief System Derailment Scenario" makes a strong start thanks to the skronky, punky horn-work (think Ian Dury) layered over its loose-limbed funk-pop melody. The song has a few lines of lyrics, but it's really an excuse for an extended jam that unravels as the tune progresses, growing increasingly chaotic as horns, synth, bells and -- are those plastic party horns? -- take gleeful liberties with the music. And the fun is only beginning... "Bluebeard" is Kinks-style pop with subtle shades of Stereolab around the edges, while "The Ballad of Johnny Rad" is a high-speed melodic rock-out straight out of the seventies. "Rabbit's Ear" is a liquidly percussive nugget of kitchen-sink composition, packed to the gills with intriguing instrumental textures, and indie pop flirts with glam-rock in "They Broke the Speed of Light".
The funk and the horns return for "Candy For Everyone", this time supported by a reverse-gated beat and, of all things, a kazoo (or a studio-simulated kazoo). "I Tried To Make It With You" cross-breeds southern blues-rock with Roxy Music, and "Reminder to Self" bounces unexpectedly from Beatles-style Britpop to full-on dub, and back again. For a grand finish, "Raisa Raisa"'s duel between mournful classical arrangements and driving post-punk jams builds to a suitably impassioned climax.
Forget everything you think you know about Bryan Poole; Amok is an astonishingly strong and inventive solo debut. With a few successful shows for the right attentive crowds, airplay on a handful of key radio stations and the attention of more reviewers who'll look beyond his CV, Bryan Helium could enter a whole new phase of his career. Serious rock stardom isn't out of the question.
