“The Clever North Wind”

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helvetia

the clever north wind

full length compact disc

tscl002

Jason and Dove of Duster weave intriguing layers of sound on this haunting debut.

Alternative Press described The Clever North Wind as “Built to Spill on a mellow, psychedelically enhanced pop bender.” It's pure command of songwriting from the heart, but not in a cheeseball ballad sort of way.

“A beautiful collage of antique effects, soulful rhythms and guitars that sigh, squelch and swirl.” - Magnet Magazine

Helvetia is pronounced hel-wait-zea, and it's the brainchild of Jason Albertini, a talented multi-instrumentalist. His audial artistry is a vast, unexplored scene, challenging yet familiar and inviting at the same time.

After Duster's last release in 2000, Jason and Duster bandmate Canaan Dove Amber relocated to Seattle WA from San Jose CA. Over the next few years Albertini continued to redesign and redefine his songwriting and recordings. The culmination of the strongest, most impressionable material was chosen to be re-recorded for release as The Clever North Wind album.

Although Albertini laid the groundwork, close friend Amber would be an intricate part of inspiring and fleshing out these tunes. As both had done in Duster, the mates had always brought their own unique talents to the table. In turn, each would tack on parts and sounds to the songs, which would eventually form the Duster dynamic - a melding of woozy guitars and dreamlike soundscapes with uncommon time signatures. These were ideas that would eventually unite the three Duster members as a unit and mark their signature sound. These early techniques would clearly define the Helvetia aesthetic as well.

The sound on The Clever North Wind is unclassifiable yet invitingly familiar. Helvetia rocks in the strangest of places, going with and against its own flow. A sonically complex affair, layered with lackadaisically honeyed vocals. On the first listen, it feels warm and welcoming, contradicted by an uncertain heaviness that lingers on well after the introduction.

It had always been Albertini's intention to make Helvetia a full band effort. On The Clever North Wind, along with his co-conspirator Amber, he enlisted the help of friend Adam Howrey (Vells, Fruit Bats) whom Albertini had briefly played with in the Vells. Amber decided he would help out on drums while Adam, having recently left the Vells, would play bass guitar. Rounding out the lineup is Ross Peard, a mutual friend of Amber and Albertini whose talents and enthusiasm for the songs made him an important addition to finalizing the Helvetia lineup.

product details

"The Clever North Wind" Track Listing:
1. Songs of the Ancient
2. Now and Formerly
3. Dusty Rue
4. Beezlebub
5. Gladness (is in the Heart)
6. A Wild One
7. The Clever North Wind
8. Dead Hands
9. A Great Division
10. Viva the Decline
11. Deirdre of the Sorrows
12. Floaters
13. Laughter and the Art of Forgetting
14. Hellawaitsya
15. The Drowning End