What if Jefferson Airplane & The Doors drowned in the open sea and the oceanic feeling transformed ‘light my fire’ into something Marissa Nadler would croon anew instead? Camp Saint Helene debuts strong with the 8-track LP Mother, in it a transmutation of 60’s drug-gaze rock morphing into haunt folk that both imbues a feeling and state of mind that’s both grandiose and sonorous when it wants to be and hushed and patiently unpredictable in the folds.

Photo By: Anna Victoria

Dylan Nowik, of Steady Sun, and vocalist Liza Ibarra began Camp Saint Helene shortly after moving to the Catskill Mountains. Their studio, where they did most of their writing, is located on the site of a former Christian summer camp-turned-arts-colony, which according to the band has informed much of their artistic process.

As “Farfia Song” fades into “Into The Garden” the lyrical content revels a narrative that breathes through Mother. Imagery of duality good and evil are often explored through the lens of love and a desire for dreams that take one into earthy landscapes. Ibarra’s vocals whisper like smoke often on tracks, her range is incredible, it adds a depth and uncertainty over the drawling bass lines and tom-laden drums. On “Milk and Honey” the hypnotism and mystical nature of Camp Saint Helene’s undercurrent rises to the forefront, it’s a great song to listen during a dark fall night in NYC.

The care taken on Camp Saint Helene’s debut Mother to create a world, is an antidote to genre-hopping, it creates a hyper-specific-mood-laden minimalism that’s melodic with guitar work and subtle overdubbing of chimey noises that birth a world to fall into. What’s hard for new bands to accomplish is this exact thing—with the ease of recording and the 24hr news-promo cycle, it’s refreshing to hear something encapsulated by accomplished musicians.

Time is a precious thing, blessed are the artists that can slow down the big hands of the clock we’re all haplessly looking at. Go listen, go fall in.

Their debut record, Mother, was just released on September 27th, 2019 making a great album for the transitional equinox, the band would likely appreciate it if you purchased it here streamed it here and their website seems like a good place to find their latest live events.