motel void

At the end of August, one of the year’s most remarkable releases appeared: Hear as the Mirror Echoes by Helena Walker, who performs under the name herbal tea – a DIY singer-songwriter and producer from Bristol. A full-length debut – if we don’t count the six-track EP Unwrap from 2023 – it’s a truly impressive record, showcasing not only a striking gift for songwriting but also an ability to create immersive atmospheres reminiscent of artists like Grouper.

The opening track, Seventeen, is also the longest, running over six and a half minutes. The length feels entirely justified: drenched in reverb-soaked vocals and wrapped in a dream-pop, ambient haze, it immediately draws the listener in. Vocally, herbal tea recalls the aforementioned Grouper, while the melodies occasionally hint at Beach House. The lo-fi vocal textures add another layer of charm.

The following track, Grounded, stretches past six minutes as well, leaning more on acoustic guitar. But this is far from ordinary folk – herbal tea enriches it with ambient layers and subtle found sounds, while the naturally textured drums that enter halfway through expand the soundscape into something vivid and enchanting, a place you want to get lost in. Even so, the more folk-inflected opening section is captivating in its own right.

Next comes Kitchen Floor (4 A.M.), one of herbal tea’s earliest singles, released an almost unbelievable seven years ago. Judging by Spotify statistics, it has since become one of her most cherished tracks – and it’s easy to understand why: its dreamy atmosphere, memorable melody, hazy mood, and bursts of distorted guitar make it one of the standout dream-pop songs of recent years..

While the first three songs drift in hazy, lo-fi dreamscapes, Submarine – one of my personal highlights – embraces dream pop more directly. Here herbal tea’s sound recalls the work of Daughter or Elena Tonra’s solo project, Ex:Re.

Driving Slow continues with a warm, lo-fi tone, before Garden (originally released in 2020) brings to mind the nostalgic summer glow of Soccer Mommy’s Scorpio Rising. Melodic yet tinged with melancholy, it reflects the undercurrent of sadness that runs through much of the album.

The final trio – Frank, Sundown, and Kara – closes the album beautifully. Frank begins with a singer-songwriter framework before opening into an ambient, celestial outro that recalls Sufjan Stevens and flows seamlessly into the instrumental Sundown. Closing track Kara bathes in reverb and evokes the atmosphere of a church or some other sacred space – the kind of environment where herbal tea’s music would resonate most powerfully in concert I believe.

Hear as the Mirror Echoes was in the making for several years, and that care and patience are evident. It is without doubt one of the strongest debuts I’ve heard in a long time. It’s no surprise that it caught the attention of Chicago-based label Orindal, known for launching forward-thinking indie acts like Wednesday, Gia Margaret, and Julie Byrne. The record has now been released jointly by Orindal and the UK DIY label Gold Day.

This review was made possible by SubmitHub

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