Helvetia

Helvetia is an experimental and indie rock band from Seattle, Washington. The name is a reference to the female personification of Switzerland and was the childhood home of frontman Jason Albertini.

The band was founded by Albertini after the band Duster dissolved, in which he was the drummer. (Duster has since reunited, but without Albertini.)

Helvetia has released an astonishing number of album since its debut LP The Clever North Wind in 2006. In 2022 alone, the band self-released six albums with three more already in 2023. Between 2012 and 2021, the majority of releases were on Joyful Noise Recordings.

You can find a comprehensive collection of the band’s works on their Bandcamp page.

Below you’ll find a complete collection of blog posts, album reviews, single and song reviews, features, lists, and more on FensePost that cover Helvetia.

Fense’s Radio Show: September 7, 2012

Andy Fenstermaker
September 12, 2012May 12, 2023

It’s been a whirlwind few weeks, finishing the kitchen project, rearranging the living room (the above photo is from that project) and now beginning to terrace the back yard. It’s hard to imagine I found time to check out new music. This week’s favorite discoveries include the new LP by The Maldives, the latest by Dana Falconberry and Art Circus, a phenomenal new LP by Woods, more great stuff from White Blood Cells out of Vancouver, and Upside Drown off a new little Olympia-based label called Antiquated Future Records.

Fense’s Radio Show: August 24, 2012

Andy Fenstermaker
August 28, 2012May 13, 2023

Visiting the parents is often a stressful time. Despite their incessantly busy schedules, they have actually learned to relax in retirement despite their hectic lifestyle. I visited them two weekends ago now. Hence the absence of an August 17 radio show recap; there was none. Instead, I participated in my brother’s wedding.

Fense’s Radio Show: July 20, 2012

Andy Fenstermaker
July 27, 2012May 12, 2023

Last weekend Andi and I visited Anacortes and walked around the dock, discussing our future as polo-shirt-wearing yacht owners and shopping for the ideal water home. Sure, this fantasy may never come to pass, and while I may find myself in a polo shirt now and again, that doesn’t mean the boat life is for me. Still, seeing middle-aged to retirees playing cards on the stern and barbecuing sure made the life seem relaxing.

Helvetia: RyBro MP3

Andy Fenstermaker
July 25, 2012May 8, 2023

“RyBro” finds Helvetia continuing their nod to gritty 90s psychedelic experimentation. Weighty guitars are backed by a hefty organ and laid-back, lazy summer guitar riffs, all of it fronted by hazy, dreamy garage-style vocals.

Fense’s Radio Show: March 23, 2012

Andy Fenstermaker
March 26, 2012May 13, 2023

Another variety show, no particular theme. It was set to be a sunny weekend, and that meant hitting the road. After a late Friday night at the station, I woke up early, grabbed my bike and went on a solid 10 mile ride. It was the first of the sort for 2012; the first of many. I need to get in shape for the 200 mile Seattle to Portland ride in July.

Helvetia | Camp Century Sessions | Album Review

Andy Fenstermaker
March 22, 2012May 8, 2023

Give any proper Helvetia release a listen, then throw on The Camp Century Sessions, and you’ll hear quite a difference. On The Lam, for example, is constructed and cohesive with songs fixated on at least some sort of structure. Here you get something else; there’s more volume, more experimentation, and perhaps even a hint more playfulness.

Helvetia: A Mirror [Song Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
January 10, 2012May 8, 2023

Brutal honesty: I’m stuck on Helvetia‘s 2011 album The Lam right now. In particular the first track (“Saucer of Dread”) and track 3 (“On the Lam”). Helvetia has returned with a new track called “A Mirror” and it embodies precisely why I dig this band: epic soundscapes, driving shoegaze riffs, hazy melodies, downtrodden vocals.

Helvetia [Feature]

Andy Fenstermaker
March 24, 2011May 8, 2023

Helvetia return with On The Lam, pumping out several new psychedelic tracks blending pop and rock very much in the style of the Pacific Northwest. The title track is among the more notable tunes on the album, beginning with a simple pop guitar melody, handclaps, and a consistent beat. Like the melody, the vocals are soft and borderline playful, albeit with a hint of emotion. By the end, the song tailspins into a hazy psychedelic swirl, launching straight into the similarly vibrant “Arise Pt. 1”. The latter, however, is dreamier and more experimental.

Helvetia: The Clever North Wind [Album Review]

Andy Fenstermaker
February 9, 2009May 12, 2023

Today is just a dreary day–the perfect type of day to listen to dreary music. Ten minutes ago I discovered a fellow coworker passed away last Friday. The news swept the office Monday but I had spent the majority of that day elsewhere. I found it odd that, when asking coworkers how their day was, they had negative replies. Yet no one explained to me why. Thus I was left clueless of last Friday’s events. Though I did not know Tory well, I knew he was a good guy, intelligent and kind. And quite young, merely 28. But he had a “bum ticker” so to speak. He was plagued with a bad heart and was often away from work in pain or the hospital or both. Enter Helvetia. Perfect music for such a day. It’s morose. Frantic but calm. The pause before the storm.