The Helio Sequence

It took a little while to soak in, but The Helio Sequence’s Keep Your Eyes Ahead eventually revealed itself to be an arresting and rewarding listen. Layered with keys and drums from Benjamin Weikel (who can be heard drumming on Modest Mouse’s Good News For People Who Love Bad News) and Brandon Summers’ vocals and guitar, the group’s fourth album is as complex as it is vulnerable, with equal parts energy and pensiveness. Now at work on a follow-up, the duo rewarded its fans’ patience with the scintillating swirl of “Converter,” its contribution to a 2010 Record Store Day 7-inch split with Pacific Northwestern compatriots Menomena.

Updated 10/27/2010