Album Review – Helena Deland: Goodnight Summerland

Eleven tracks of pure mellow folk

Canadian singer-songwriter, Helena Deland, has recently put out her newest album Goodnight Summerland. This release consists of eleven tracks of calmness. The album starts strong with a piano intro with no lyrics called “Moon Pith.” Hearing how this track introduces the album, makes it seem as though it will be emotional and strong. The melancholic and dramatic piano riffs let the listener know that this album is going to be a slow one. Now, slow isn’t ever necessarily bad but this album does not have much variation, unfortunately. 

As we move on to the next song, “Saying Something,” we are met with tenderly played acoustic guitar and layered folky vocals with steady harmonization. This song is also quite stagnant and does not change much throughout the four minutes it takes up. The third track, “Spring Bug,” is a change of pace from the previous two songs. The mellow drums and shakers don’t overpower the song; they just give it some dynamics. The drums allow the attention of the listener to be brought back and give something new to be heard. “Spring Bug” also features a guitar that can only be described as beautiful and satisfying. The songs sounds like a fairytale soundtrack with a lot of acoustic guitar and Renaissance-style instrumentals.

The album gets a bit slow and boring in the middle as the songs feel like they mesh together and are all very slow. Even with drums picking up in “The Animals” the boringness is still prevalent. However, the songs are quite beautiful if you’re in the mood for slow music. The music just doesn’t change. There is not much variation and not much to take in while listening. Although, one good thing about this album is the vocals. Deland plays around with the way she sings and uses layering as a staple within the album. Multiple tracks feature this and it seems to be Deland’s “thing.”

Deland’s music may not be for everyone and every mood but it certainly pushes hard into the soft folk scene. Even though it is a tad boring and uneventful, it has an audience that it reaches.