Enola Fall - Heliotropic

​Enola Fall

​Heliotropic
self-released; 2017

​4.0 out of 5

By Rebecca Rothschild

Indie rock band all the way from Tasmania in Australia, Enola Fall managed to immediately put a smile on my face with Heliotropic. There is something so fantastic about a band that describes themselves by saying, “everyone in the band is a miserable bastard.” Just by reading that I felt a kinship with these guys and really connected to the music that followed.  

​Everything kicks off with “Unloveable,” which is such an open wound of a song that the relatability was off the charts. Next up was my favorite track “Stab On!” which had an unexpected sweetness in the lyrics that really charmed me. From then on the waters get a little muddy and eventually as you go down the line of tracks you’re in very deep, but it’s beautiful. I honestly did not expect things to get as heavy as they did but at no point did I feel overwhelmed. The woe is so potent and yet there’s something very ambient and insightful happening. One of the songs that really blends their lighter and darker tones together is “Surrender.” The arrangement of the tracks came in handy to transition from the lighter to heavier moods which was wise because there is a lot to unpack.

Lead singer Joe Nuttall is a wonder with his pipes, and not just because he can hit poignant high notes. He is his own bag of tricks. He’s a true performer but not putting on any sort of persona for anyone. He can be subtle but I feel he’s at his best being blunt and slapping lyrics down on the cutting board for you to take as you like. A great example is the song “Lions” which really showcases his anger and frustration as a thing of beauty. 

There is a punk element here; these guys are by no means trying to sugar coat anything. The lyrics, while heavily metaphorical, really illustrate knife twisting, backstabbing and an overall cantankerous state of being. The theme communicated in their submission was one of “doom and gloom” as well as dealing with mental illness and even medication. These are heavy themes and there is something very cathartic and even cheeky at times in the way they deal with them. 

This album has a great professional finish to it. It was recorded and mixed at Jungle Studios in Sydney and mastered at WWS Music in New York and it all paid off. The sound Enola Fall achieves is one that is complex and can easily get away from anyone. There was more than just a musical sound to build, they built an atmosphere, hell, they created a miasma. There is something very fresh about how they approached the influential material.

Enola Fall came to us with a healthy trail of buzz already behind them and it is rightfully earned. Heliotropic is a great album for anyone with a love for indie rock or alternative. It has all cylinders firing between the music, delicious lyrics and professional finish. I really can’t recommend it enough. Stay ahead of the curve and give them a listen at your earliest convenience. I feel there’s only so much time to get to know them before they officially become “cool.

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