Helen Love have existed for almost twenty-five years, releasing twenty-one singles, three EPs and seven albums during that time. Yet you are forgiven if you’ve yet to hear of the Welsh oddities. For much of that time, the now three-piece have existed predominately in the underground, rarely making live appearances and steering clear of the limelight.
It’s not like they haven’t been noticed though. Helen Love boast high profile fans, not least through their clear adoration of their peers. On ‘Smash Hits’, their eighth studio album, the band make frequent nods to their heroes, with track titles referencing punk icon Poly Styrene and The Ramones. With this fandom returned in kind during the band’s tenure, Helen Love have established themselves as understated punk icons.
The lingering influence from their favourites runs throughout the record, intertwined with Helen Love’s frantic bubblegum electronics. It’s erratic to say the least, yet boasting an enthused energy and a truly distinctive style. Throughout, ‘Smash Hits’ is immeasurably retro. From the cut-out montage album cover to the pop-culture references, through the particularly unusual references to Nintendo’s heyday on ‘Mario Kart Grand Prix… Let’s Go’, the twelve tracks are a homage to everything Helen Love, well, love.
And it’s not just punk and computer games that have led the trio to this point. Bonnie Tyler makes repeated appearances, as Helen Love sample ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ on ‘Yes We’re In A Band That We Love’ and ‘Holding Out For A Hero’ on ‘You Can’t Beat A Boy Who Loves The Ramones’. The latter is proof of their conflicting influences, bringing together the punk legends with the welsh songstress. And it works, in its own way.
That’s the beauty of Helen Love. Their latest full-length never threatens to offer anything other than what this trio intend, a love-letter to the smash hits of their lives. Those bestsellers range from unadulterated pop, unparalleled punk to quirky electronics. The result is perhaps unsurprisingly an acquired taste, but we guarantee you’d be hard pushed to find anything that sounds like this out there anytime soon.
BEN TIPPLE