Helena Deland: Pale
Clear vocals, a gentle melody and poetic lyrics make for a winning cut.
By Kerry Doole
Helena Deland - Pale (Luminelle Recordings): Beginning with her 2016 EP Drawing Room, this Montreal-based synth-pop singer/songwriter has attracted the attention and the approval of music scribes. A debut full-length, Someone New, finally comes out on Oct. 16, preceded by another advance single, Pale.
In a label press release, Deland explains that “Pale is about the little space left to the actual self in romantic relationships where idealization comes into play.” The song is accompanied by a video, with the singer noting that "the stream in the visualizer represents the question of control when control is ultimately impossible.”
After a moody, atmospheric intro, Deland's clean and almost girlish vocals come into focus, complementing the gentle melody and such evocative lyrics as "In dreams gone so soon, Roaring streams taking me to you."
Someone New features songwriting support from Valentin Ignat. The pair recorded at a Montréal studio with Deland's band before Deland took the album to New York for additional production and mixing with friend and collaborator Gabe Wax (Adrianne Lenker, Soccer Mommy, The War on Drugs, etc.)
Links
Publicity: Kim Juneja, Take Aim
Management: Nyck@chivichivi.com
Booking: Heavy Trip
The Weeknd at Rogers Centre in Toronto on August 8, 2025.Hyghly Alleyne, Courtesy XO Records