Matt Helvie of Portland’s Secret Satellites is releasing a new EP tomorrow, May 6, 2022, entitled
“Mirrors.”
“It was a ‘helluva’ undertaking I produced, engineered, recorded, mixed, and mastered it all myself. Jay
Beckstead from Vestigial Cow is the drummer and he and I did all the writing/arrangement. [It was] a
really fun process and are already writing the next EP.”
MIRP’s Susanna got an early listening to Secret Satellites “Mirrors.”
“Life Less Ordinary” starts off with some beautiful piano followed into a solid rock song that is very radio
friendly. The vocals transported me to the early 2000s, think “Poem” from Taproot.
“Tangled” keeps the tempo along with the melody of the vocals to give this song a good flow; nice and
steady. The lyrics add to the passion of the song, “still filling all these pages that I’ve designed, but there
is still a story tangled in my mind.” Helvie throws in screaming to give it that extra emotional punch,
which was a nice touch.
“Fall” is a song with an out of this world, ethereal feel to it…transferring you to another place. The
guitar and bass give that underlying delightful tune that I could see being played in a big arena. A bit of
sadness juxtaposed with a weight lifted off your shoulders. While slower than the previous songs…It
Jams!
“The Grey” is a song of hope. The music is uplifting and powerful. In a weird way it reminds me of
‘Everlong’ by Foo Fighters, especially with the whispering moment … like it is your own conscious talking
with you. The lyrics seem that even though we are “stuck in the grey,” we can look forward and be
confident that we can all make it through.
“Lossless Condition” is a beautiful song that captures your attention. Slow to begin with simple guitar,
and a celestial feeling undercurrent. No lyrics, but it is lovely.
Portland, Oregon’s Secret Satellites’ “Mirrors,” gives you a wonderful taste of a little bit of everything.
From passionate vocals, harmonized guitar, and the foundational bass and drums keep the blood
pumping. Every song except “Lossless Condition” could be played on the radio to the masses; “Lossless
Condition” is more like a movie soundtrack.
My personal favorites on this track are: “Life Less Ordinary,” and “The Grey,” but all are stellar. Can’t wait to see what these guys have next in store.
