HELEN MONEY
IN TUNE
TABLE OF ELEMENTS RECORDS

If you collected all the world’s sadness what would it sound like? One of those sounds could easily be the melancholy magic that resonates from the bow of Helen Money.

Using a cello played through guitar pedals and amps Money has become a fixture in the world of extreme music.Recording with Anthrax, Plague Bringer, Russian Circles as well as performing live in arenas not usually held for the Cello.

Her resume notwithstanding where Helen Money truly shines is on her new album “In Tune” a record that creates more emotion with a simple Cello than most full bands can even attempt to pull off. If Money has tapped into the world’s sadness with In Tune it’s not in some lazy doe eyed emo way. Her music is filled with dynamics, tension, bursts of loud noise and subtle landscapes. This record maps out the human soul when tormented and distraught. Nothing comes easy here; each rip and tear from her instrument conjures up new feelings, feelings that differ for each listener.

Sonically Money fills her album with sounds ranging from elegant to abrasive and everything in between. At times you can hear just the Cello in its basic form crying out beautifully and then suddenly the bow moves offensively against the strings creating a cacophony of noise. Using her various pedals and tools Money is able to construct a fully three-dimensional world of music. In Tune never gets boring or repetitive, which is pretty impressive considering it’s a single instrument.

One of my favorite things about this album is that Money infuses her music with emotions but doesn’t push you to react a certain way to them. Part of it stems from these being instrumental tracks but the rest comes from her ability to construct soundscapes and passages that give you a ground to walk on but no signs to direct you. How you interpret what each song is saying is your own crossword puzzle and that’s how Money is able to create such depth of feeling. In Tune is also an album that you must listen to from beginning to end. This is a musical movement that calls for your complete attention; there are no hit singles here.

I also have to give full credit for Money tossing in a Minutemen cover being that they are one of my favorite bands. Her interpretation of “Political Song For Michael Jackson To Sing” may be my favorite cover of a Minutemen song ever. The cover comes out of nowhere and is so different from the original if you’re not versed in the world of D. Boon and Mike Watt you may miss it. Interestingly the cover doesn’t feel out of place with the other songs, Money manages to weave right into the tapestry of her original concept.

Doing as much reviewing as I do it’s rare when something comes across my desk that is actually art. Helen Money is a true artist and In Tune is a very emotional, complex and layered artistic statement. With extreme music becoming more and more stagnant I’m hoping these types of records will bring a re-birth to it by showing people that anything can create emotional and artistic music. It’s not all about bass, drums, guitar. Helen Money is more extreme in her honesty and artistic vision than most “extreme” bands out there.