Back in February we introduced Sabrina Nickels, the forthcoming album from Anthony Vaccaro’s Helicopter Leaves which marks something of a new era for the project. “Having made a name as guitarist and co-songwriter in Chicago rock band Beach Bunny, Vaccaro’s solo work has thus far remained very much a side project, 2023 debut Get Stuck In recorded in the basement of his grandparents’ house,” as we wrote. “However, anyone who spent time with that record would have said considerable vision and potential within the idiosyncratic sound, and now Vaccaro is determined to level up with the new album and give Helicopter Leaves the attention it deserves. The basement was swapped for Steve Albini’s Electrical Audio and longtime Beach Bunny collaborator Sean O’Keefe’s home studio, and a newfound commitment followed, though Vaccaro still plays all the instruments and retains the same personal spirit.”
After lead single ‘Moreoff More Off Than On’, what we called “a track charged with all the adventure and experimentation that makes the project special,” Vaccaro has shared brand new track ‘What’s One More Place?’ to further raise anticipation for the Helicopter Leaves album ahead of its release later this month via Noyes Records. Described as his “fastest and most heavy song” to date, the track highlights the raw, visceral dimension of the project, though its undeniable weight does not preclude a sense of forward motion. Similarly, the lyrics offer cynicism (“I know why the tall bird sings higher / It’s because no one gave two shits / Same story every time ‘Oh woah is me’ and I’ll cry” Vaccaro sings in the opening verse) and fatalism (“I touch and I break everything is a mistake / I see clocks in my dreams / the weight of light is listening”), yet lead to a strange kind of affirmation. As though there’s a satisfying catharsis to be found in embracing pessimism.
Watch the video By Giulz Foulkes below:
Sabrina Nickels will be released on the 27th March via Noyes Records and you can pre-order it now.