Helen Love
This Is My World – Alcopop! Records
Back in the day Helen Love were a staple of the indie scene. The tunes were good fun. They were Radio One’s Evening Session fodder. The band were fast paced, high energy, straight outta their bedroom into yours. Yep, we are talking waaaaay back in the day. When Devo was a … teenager … ‘This Is My World’ is Helen Love’s tenth full-length release, and while it is bound to be more polished and mature than when the band were emerging and Devo was doing her coursework, it’s still a riot of lyrics worth listening to sung by Helen’s honest story-telling voice. By frontwoman Helen’s own admission, this is not the record they expected to make. It’s reflective and introspective, and while we have happy tunes we can skip along to, we have words that tug at the heartstrings. Helen sings with nostalgia clouded by years of experience of real life. Each song is loaded with emotion. ‘The Social Club’ is a dear ditty about a time gone by. And if you fall in the over-forty age bracket, you’ll understand. ‘Clearing Out Mum’s House’ had Devo in tears. Like driving gloves, forgoing handbags in favour of a rucksack and dressing to be warm as opposed to fashionable, ‘This Is My World’ will make most sense to those of us who have to be in bed by 10pm. And if you fall into this demographic, the rawness and realness ‘This Is My World’ carries will leave you wishing that maybe you weren’t. Helen Love does something special – she makes you sit and think.
Review by Jo Wright