Keep Your Eyes Ahead, the fourth album by
Portland duo The Helio Sequence, offers a window to an alternate universe in
which Fleetwood Mac pop-savant Lindsey Buckingham records maximized indie-rock
for Sub Pop. It's a lot of sound for two guys (singer-guitarist Brandon Summers
and drummer Benjamin Weikel), suggesting that every minute since 2004's Love
And Distance
was utilized to perfect the pair's already steady hand at soaring, addictive
melodies, pleasant layers of guitar and keyboards, and clean, visceral
drumming. The opener "Lately" is a mournful break-up ballad bolstered with
Mercury Rev-ish broad strokes, while "The Captive Mind" recalls the best '80s synth-pop
(alternating among Peter Gabriel, The English Beat, and Julian Lennon) without
using the influence as a crutch.