The Tuna Helpers — I’ll Have What She’s Having

The Tuna Helpers are three fair maidens from a far away kingdom who debut on the Mimicry with an album that I wasn’t sure what to think when I heard the samples. Hearing the full CD I must say that the samples once again fell short in representing what these ladies are about.

A curious mix of tunes that are somewhat scary in a very entertaining way. The album opens with Ready To Begin in which howling winds and voices set the tone although it gets a bit more rocky in the second track, Hold This. In Circus Song producer Trey Spruance (Secret Chiefs 3) creates a Wall Of Sound that Phil Spector became famous with, while the following Blueberry Head sounds very small again. Dreamy popsongs are sprinkled with lots of haunting choirs, violins and bells alternated with cute little waltzes from music boxes. For me, being a sucker for waltzes as well as instruments like celestes all this can’t be bad. And it isn’t. I’ll Have What She’s Having is marinated in a Halloweenish spooksauce, like Mr. Doctor’s sisters take you on a trip through the Haunted Mansion to see Kate Bush taking her ballet lessons at the school in Argento’s Suspiria.

Judging by the pictures the trio makes a liveperformance a theatric event to match the atmosphere of the music. All in all an unusual band and I think that The Tuna Helpers are a nice addition to the quickly expanding Mimicry roster.