It’s CD release time once again for the Helium Tapes, the local power pop quintet whose debut came out just over a year ago.

Ghost Wave, another stellar effort, will be released Sat. at the Off Broadway. On it, the band remains focused on what it does well. Meandering psychedelic guitar lines by Tim Lohman set against upbeat, danceable grooves. Dark lyrics are convincingly delivered by one of the local scene’s best singers, Sunyatta Marshall.

The set was deftly recorded, engineered and mixed (in consort with the band) by Sunyatta’s brother Tazu (Steve) Marshall, also a musician in several groups including Celery.

Though Sunyatta feels this album was a long time in the making, having two strong, original full-lengths in 14 months is a resume that many bands would love to hang their hat on. Looks to me like a solid foundation to start touring on.

RC: Did you grow up playing music at early age?
SM: Yes. My dad is James Marshal, sax player in the Human Arts Ensemble. My mom was also on some of those albums. But the way I really got into music was through my older brother. When I was ten, he started playing guitar and I just wanted to be like my brother. Almost anything he’d do I would try to do. I started playing at bars like Kennedy’s and the Wabash Triangle when I was 14, so I’ve been at it a long time.

RC: How is this one different from your debut album?
SM: We have a different lineup for one - our bassist is now on keys and we added Jarrod Burkemper on bass. Stylistically, Ghost Wave is not as repetitive I’d say. There are more moving parts to the songs. Lyrically, the first album was written during a divorce, so the songs sort run of gamut of those emotions. This one is more introspective and less reactionary. A few are about the suicide of a dear friend and the death of a band member’s father.

RC: Where did the title Ghost Wave come from?
SM: It worked on several levels. In mixing, when you’re dealing with visual wave files, you’ll see blips that you don’t hear. You focus in on them and they suddenly just go away. Tazu and I call them ghost waves. Also, our music is usually a little dark and spooky.

RC: Had you played with Tim Lohman much before forming the Tapes?
SM: I had not played with him before. When I first started going to shows, he was in the Geargrinders and I just loved his style. He has sort of an Eastern thing going on. One critic called him a ’snake charmer’ and I thought that fit. I just love that whole vibe, plus he’s just a wonderful person. I’d actually like to hear more of that in our music.

RC: Has Indian music has always been part of your life?
SM: Yes, my parents had Raga records and they traveled to India. All of us listened to old Bollywood records quite a bit.

RC: Do you enjoy studio work as much as playing live?
SM: I love them both. I really miss playing with the full band. When we’re recording it’s such a long process and we don’t play live or even together much. It’s like being in a marriage that has no sex! So we’re looking forward to Saturday.

Helium Tapes CD release
9 p.m. Sat., Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., $6
Also catch them Sat., Nov. 21 at Blueberry Hill with the Boorays

http://www.myspace.com/theheliumtapes2

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