Rating: 3.5 Pulses
To begin with, the Hellblinki Sextet and the music on their latest album are unique. This album has very little of anything you would expect from any normal band or musical project.
The title of the album, A Pirate Broadcast, left me with no concept of what was about to come out of my speakers.
What did come was a blend of sounds that definitely make you think the musicians had to either be pirates or the sort of people who associates themselves with pirates.
To describe the actual sounds is difficult. The band goes between soundscapes made from strange noises and voices, with radio programs, clocks, and an announcer interspersed, to odd swing and waltz beat patterned songs with full lyrics. Instrumentation is somewhat hard to distinguish although there are drums, guitars, pianos and bass, with lots of pirate-sounding voices. Most of the songs seem like this band is playing around; like they are having fun and just making some silly songs together.
Song 6, “The Lily,” is very classical in style and has a beautiful vocal and piano mixed with what sounds like some odd horns.
Mostly though, this album made of soundtrack style clips of music. Out of the 13 tracks on the album, there are only five or six actual songs with lyrics. I am not sure whether I liked this fact personally, but the CD is effective as a whole. It is definitely very strange though, and certainly only appropriate for specific moods.
But, the more times I listened to the album, the more I liked it.
I would recommend this album to anyone who wants a very unique album as a collector’s item. Mostly the album is a group of novelty songs with some soundscapes mixed in. The production quality is good though, and serves to induce an odd state of mind.
I would look for The Hellblinki Sextet to keep making unique and interesting music in the future. They frequently come through town and often play with Murfreesboro’s own Juan Profit Organization.
If you are interested in a rather different musical experience than your typical rock band, keep your eye out for them.
