Spin (p.94) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "'Can't Say No' floats on layers of riffy ambience, while 'Back To This' grooves to a sing-along chorus and bubbly bass."
Alternative Press (p.141) - 4.5 stars out of 5 -- "[L]ush tracks that slide under your skin with a welcome emotive quality. It's the most solid album in the group's discography, haunting with moments of near perfection."
Q (Magazine) (p.104) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "Portland's The Helio Sequence -- Brandon Summers and occasional Modest Mouse drummer Benjamin Weikel -- add luscious electronic icing to their songs..."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.112) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "Steeped in the atmospheric distortions of The Stone Roses and My Bloody Valentine....[They] have pushed their fringes out of the way to display a new focus."
Clash (magazine) (p.112) - "[A] distillation of what went before, but new and very much improved."
The Helio Sequence: Brandon Summers (vocals, guitar); Benjamin Weikel (keyboards, drums).
On 2008's KEEP YOUR EYES AHEAD, its second full-length album for Sub Pop, the Helio Sequence offers up another shimmering set of dreamy indie-rock. Gilding its songs with shoegaze, electronic, and folk elements, the Portland, Oregon-based duo, which consists of vocalist/guitarist Brandon Summers and keyboardist/drummer Benjamin Weikel, excels at textured, mid-tempo tunes, as best revealed on the chiming opener, "Lately," and the pulsing "Hallelujah." Given gravitas by Summers's deep voice and intense delivery, AHEAD also displays a gentler side of the band's aesthetic, particularly on the serene, acoustic-oriented "Shed Your Love." One of Sub Pop's most underrated acts, the Helio Sequence may win over a wider audience with this assured outing.