For Helena Deland it was the death of her mother that forced her to ask the big questions about her own life and her relationship, past and present, with her mother. While many of these questions may be unanswerable, it was through the connection she has with her creative process that has allowed some sort of healing to transpire. Deland’s new album, Goodnight Summerland out October 13th via Chivi Chivi, is all about her process. Processing the grief behind her mother’s passing, the feeling of losing the connection to her mother’s stories and also of losing what her mother’s connections and understandings could be of her own stories and experiences. It’s obviously a deeply personal collection of songs. It is also a deeply beautiful collection of songs and one that could be used to help us all process the questions we hold in our hearts.

Goodnight Summerland begins quietly and softly with the simmering instrumental “Moon Pith”. The song acts almost as a palate cleanser from whatever you, the listener, has encountered throughout your day. The song leads you into Deland’s world, taking your hand and gently guiding you through what is to come. “Spring Bug” is sprightly and bright. Its rollicking backbeat and shimmering guitar line work to perfectly accentuate Deland’s thoughtful and gorgeous words and melodies. In songs such as “Who I Sound Like” and “Swimmer” Deland is reaching out to the memory of her mother, wishing she could speak with her again and in “Saying Something” she approaches and accepts the shortcomings of her friends and family as they try and process their loss. Album stunner “Night Soft As Silk” sees Demand trying to blend her mind with her friends and the impossibility of doing so. Deland sings, “Pour me another drink/Midnight hours gone so fast/I’ll tell you what I really think”, and it captures the moments when real understanding and connection can actually be possible and it’s really beautiful.

The thoughtfulness and care on display throughout Goodnight Summerland is an impressive feat from Deland. She doesn’t seem to take her gift to communicate for granted and isn’t afraid to speak on the things that we all think when going through huge life events. The one big takeaway from the record, besides its compelling and gorgeous songwriting, is that it shows Deland’s ability as an artist to share her experiences and her creative process while allowing them to resonate in the rest of us in a completely natural and healing way.

Pre-order Goodnight Summerland by Helena Deland HERE