Wired | June 1997

The second disc from this Massachusetts twee-o delves even further into delicate anthem pop. Guitartist Tony Goddess calls himself a "head-phone listener," and his crafty shoestring arrangements are stereophonic proof. Vocally, the Papas revere The Beach Boys' open-voweled harmonies and the hokey cliches of timeless teen radio: "Sing About Me" is a Replacements-style raver that updates The Supremes' "Come See About Me." Goddess, bassist Keith Gendel, and drummer Shivika Asthana all sing airily, lending Helioself a flower-powered weltanschauung rarely witnessed without winks and nudges.