Cut of the Day: Helio Sequence, "October," Negotiations (Sub Pop)

From its outset, “October” is all about motion. Cut from the Helio Sequence’s upcoming album Negotiations, the song is heavy and complex yet glides along smoothly, blurring the surrounding terrain like a passenger train. Brandon Summers’ reedy tenor is in top form, and overall the track is so epically big that it is almost impossible to believe that the Helio Sequence is made up of only two people.

“October,” for all of its sonic enormity, is all about creating a feeling rather than telling a story. The lyrics are simple and encouraging, all about keeping the past in mind while looking ahead and staying mobile. “Raise your eyes/ Just go again/ There will be a next time,” Summers pep-talks over Benjamin Weikel’s bass-and-cymbal-driven drumming. Summers’ guitar playing is light and shimmering, adding a counterpoint to the track’s rushing low end. The end, perhaps, is the song’s peak: the vocals give way to a waterfall of cymbal crashes, pounding drums, and sparkling guitar riffs, the tumbling movement of which could continue infinitely (and might, considering that the song fades out).

The whole package inspires a reaction that transcends the cerebral and creeps into the body: Expect lungs to breathe deeper, expect leg muscles to itch for a run, expect cheeks to flush with anticipation for the next big adventure. It's kind of a shame, really, that “October” has been released already and we have to wait until September 11th for Negotiations.