By Thomas Dunlap
Music Journalist

Homeshake, the dreamy bedroom-pop project of Montreal’s sensual singer/songwriter Peter Sagar, announced his new album, Helium, with the release of single “Like Mariah.” Helium, Homeshake’s fourth musical installment, is set to release Feb. 15, 2019 through New York-based label Sinderlyn Records.

With “Like Mariah,” Homeshake’s sound continues its residence comfortably somewhere in between the solid structure of guitars and the hazy, weightlessness of somnolent synthesizers. A funky Seinfeld-esque bass line slaps throughout the entirety of the track, accompanied by minimal synthesizers that blink in and out in a very “computer motherboard” fashion. The vocals are a faint auto-tuned breeze that almost inaudibly blow over the track’s cold topography, focusing more on melody than lyrical comprehension. The track is concluded by a brief but beautiful exercise of Sagar’s vocal range, with the effortless execution of several high notes. The track’s title and outro are both subtle homages to one of Sagar’s favorite musicians – Mariah Carey. “Like Mariah” is energetic yet exhausted, exemplifying Sagar’s skill in balancing opposite elements and emotions in each track.

Despite its isolated and lonely tone, Homeshake’s music inspires feelings of friendliness and familiarity. His music has a pleasant and relaxing temperament, fit to listen to in any location. The lyrical contents, when they are comprehensible, are intentionally vague and focus on the events and emotions of everyday life in an effort to construct an emotional connection between the music and the listener. Helium may be Homeshake’s most appropriately titled album to date, as the filtered vocals and cloudy instrumentation reflect the titular gas’ high-pitched and weightless effects.

Listen to “Like Mariah,” the first single off of Homeshake’s forthcoming album Helium below.

Featured Image courtesy of @candysays__. Calligraphy by Thomas Dunlap.