The Heligoats

Goodness Gracious (Greyday)

By Christine Werthman
Published: February 20th, 2010 | 7:00am

Chris Otepka served as the lead singer and guitarist of Chicago’s Troubled Hubble for six years while simultaneously creating music under the name of his solo project, the Heligoats. Where Troubled Hubble had loud, fun, rock at its core, the Heligoats’ sound is softer and prescribes more to a singer/songwriter element. The band’s debut album, Goodness Gracious, offers tracks awash with sunny tones and warm melodies — songs less ideal for a nighttime campfire than a canoe trip.

Only those familiar with Otepka’s work with Troubled Hubble will notice a distinct change in his vocal approach. In the Heligoats, his voice is less brash, more intimate — not without an edge, but definitely softer. Otepka plays an acoustic guitar on the 10 tracks while muted drums, bass, and keyboards fill in the blanks. His quirky lyrics, like the lines, “Don’t be discouraged / Dead fish on the beach / They were probably just swimming / In mercury” from “Mercury,” prevent any song from seeming drab.

Otepka also always sings them with a straight face making lyrics like, “It sure is nice to know you like me around” from “Water Towers on Fire” sound completely sincere. The album’s title track serves as the final cut and is the slowest and most barefaced of the bunch. Here you find Otepka and his guitar sitting by themselves, save for the occasional piano note, to end the album with the words “Goodness gracious, goodnight.” Were Otepka any other singer, this line would sound trite. But through his voice, it comes off as a warm ending to an equally warm album.

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The Heligoats official site

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Greyday