Helenium – The Elements [EP]

I have to say, this EP is very colorful and bouncy as each of the five tracks has its own style and atmosphere, its own personality in a way, making it rather hard to categorize. Overall the music is acoustic, though not in the traditional sense of the word (i.e. acoustic guitar and vocals), as it’s mainly piano and vocals, spiced up with various arrangements (electric piano, synths, percussion), giving them a certain ambiental, even cinematic, feel. The lyrical substrate of Helenium comes from Jelena’s interest in the inner workings of the mind and soul, the EP being, in her own words, “a place where I can share with you moments of my personal journey and insights I reached through self-reflection and observation of people and circumstances around me”.

 Opening the EP on an ominous tone is “Beyond the stars (Aether)”, a very ethereal and darkly sounding piece of music, with somber piano melodies and brooding vocals. It’s a song that almost feels gothic, it has that gloomy atmosphere to it, coming from both the operatic vocals in the intro as well as from the backing orchestration. On the other hand, “Fly (Air)” is as light and atmospheric as it breezy and ethereal, with a preeminent smooth jazz feel to it, coming from the playful piano melodies and percussions, which line up perfectly with Jelena’s rich and melodic vocal melodies, making it one of my favorites on this EP. I just love that backing piano melody so much. Picking up where “Fly (Air)” left of, “Innocence (Water)” is quite a cinematic track, with some synth works, cello lines and uplifting melodies in the chorus that may get you dancing (or at least moving to the beat). The synths and the piano contrast and complement each other beautifully, while Jelena’s delivery is soulful but yet powerful. “In Flames (Fire)” is a twisted number that ebbs and flows between upbeat melodies and breezy moments, between emotionally charged deliveries and beautiful melodic singing, between a somewhat gloomy atmosphere brought by the cello and uplifting piano lines that keep the darkness at bay. Definitely another favorite of mine. Closing the EP on a rather somber note is “From the ashes (Earth)”, an intense song with melancholy yet gentle piano melodies and dramatic vocal delivery, making it a very intense piece of music.