Quicksand marks a striking and assured debut from Claire Helm & The Outside World, presenting an album that feels both timeless and refreshingly alive. Rooted in soft rock yet fearlessly stretching into folk, indie, and pop territories. Claire Helm herself, a Liverpool-born singer-songwriter now based in Huddersfield, whose vocal range and control are nothing short of captivating. From the opening moments, the album invites the listener into a carefully crafted sound world where real instruments breathe, arrangements unfold naturally, and melodies linger long after the final note. On “Ghost,” Claire Helm captures the bittersweet pain of a fleeting connection: “I fell for a ghost, a temporary host like a game show, you pulled back the curtain and there’s nothing there, why should I care.” The line perfectly conveys the sense of disillusionment and the hollow ache of chasing something that never truly existed. The album continues with “Nothing Changes” reflects resignation to life’s unending cycles: “no use in complaining, cos nothing will change, I see it’s still raining, yes it’s always the same.”
In “Kings & Queens,” she turns the lens outward, giving voice to the forgotten and overlooked: “we are the kings and queens of nowhere, we were never meant to be, we are the kings and queens of nowhere, just forgotten history.” The track carries a melancholic grandeur, painting a vivid portrait of unrealized potential. “Bobby” brings intimacy and sharp observation: “Bobby was it absolution, are you feeling kinda proud, Bobby did I ever tell you, that you talk too much, and you talk too loud, can you hear me.” The album continues with “She Stands” it navigates the early uncertainty of love: “how d’ya know that she’s the one, when it’s only just begun, but you know you can’t go back.” Helm captures the fragility and thrill of new beginnings, a moment both exhilarating and irreversible. “Always Getting Better” offers hope through perseverance: “whether we can work it out together, cos it’s always getting better, it’s always getting better, it’s always getting better.”The repetition drives home the mantra-like quality of optimism in the face of uncertainty. The title track, “Quicksand,” channels vulnerability and desperation: “throw me a lifeline, I’m begging you please, spare me a moment, I’m down on my knees.” The imagery of being pulled under conveys raw emotional intensity.
Echoes of Maria Callas and Sharon den Adel (of Within Temptation) surface in Helm’s operatic delivery, particularly in the surreal “Mad Man Moon”: “if this desert’s all there’ll ever be, Then tell me what becomes of me, A fall of rain?, That must have been another of your dreams, A dream of mad man moon.” The album’s progressive undercurrents build to wry self-reflection in “The Jokes on Me,” with “pick myself up, dust myself down, make a new life on the dark side of town, oh no, looks like the joke’s on me,” showcasing Helm’s wit amid melancholy.
Closing on a defiant note, Quicksand leaves listeners with “Go Home,” indulging in solitary rebellion “I wanna watch television, All alone in the dark, And dance naked like a lunatic and never get caught, I can do that at home, I should do that alone.” And “The Road” offers a poignant farewell: “it’s a story of hope, about a man who is tired and cold, and he waved her goodbye with a tear in his eye, as he stands at the end of the road.” Her voice moves effortlessly from delicate intimacy to soaring power, channeling influences that echo Stevie Nicks, Kate Bush, Joni Mitchell, and even the dramatic intensity of Maria Callas and Janis Joplin. Gorgeous melodies, lush harmonies, and sensitive musicianship define the listening experience, while The Outside World provide beautifully textured performances that elevate each song without ever overshadowing the vocals.
Produced, recorded, and mixed by Steve Dutton at Den of Iniquity Studios, Quicksand is the result of a two-year labor of love inspired by the great 1970s albums and the legendary spirit of studios like Sound City. With no autotune or artificial tricks, the album leans fully into authenticity, rewarded by mastering from Carl Rosamond at RSS Music and Media. The result is a debut of searing intensity and depth, confidently stamping its place in modern soft rock, indie, and pop with a progressive edge and announcing Claire Helm & The Outside World as artists worth following closely.
English