Anthony Vaccaro — as you might already know — is Beach Bunny’s bassist, as well as the mind behind the solo project Helicopter Leaves. And while we’ve introduced you to Vaccaro’s solo work and discussed two of its latest singles in recent moons (“Moreoff More Off Than On” and “What’s One More Place?”), we haven’t touched on the album from which they come, Sabrina Nickels.
The new album came out in March, so we admit we’re a bit late to the game. But there’s never a bad time to put on a little heavy jangle pop, especially as the weather heats up for summer. Though Vaccaro usually holds up the lower end of Beach Bunny’s indie pop fare, he gets to show off his songwriting prowess and handle all ends of the sonic spectrum on Sabrina Nickels. His work as Helicopter Leaves turns the distortion up a tad more, adds a few extra guitars, and gets a bit grittier than his work with the band. And that diversity of sound adds to the record’s catchy licks.
Sabrina Nickels is Vaccaro’s second as Helicopter Leaves, with his first being Get Stuck In back in 2023. Where the debut solo effort had a rougher DIY sound — with Vaccaro playing, recording, engineering, and producing everything — the second record gained some extra ears and hands to create something a little crispier. First, there’s producer and engineer Sean O’Keefe, who has worked with Beach Bunny but also Fall Out Boy, Hawthorne Heights, Plain White T’s, and Motion City Soundtrack. Then there’s mastering from Justin Perkins of Mystery Room Mastering in Madison, Wisconsin, who’s worked with artists from all over the musical canon: The Replacements, ODB, Shania Twain, Johnny Cash, Smash Mouth, and so on. And while Vaccaro once again performed all parts of the music, he did it at the legendary Electrical Audio, home to the late great Steve Albini. Pixies. Nirvana. Fugazi. The Breeders. And now, with Steve’s spirit still in the studio’s walls, Helicopter Leaves.
You definitely hear the energy of that professionalism come through in each song, from the opening thunderous bass drum beat of “It Really Never Did” to the cinematic and grungy closing of “Self-Reliance”. But the power comes from the music itself, just as it did on Get Stuck In when Vaccaro was recording his songs in an accordion studio. The improved production just puts extra shine on the gems that are the tracks of Sabrina Nickels.
But who is Sabrina Nickels, and why name the album after them? The moniker belongs to a childhood family friend who passed from cancer, who took Vaccaro to shows as a child and changed his life, instilling a life-long love for music in him. The album, while in honor of Nickels, doesn’t only pay tribute to them. It focuses on the usual indie fare as well, such as broken relationships (“It Never Really Did”, “Dreaming About Everyone But You”), coping and anxiety (“Feeling Nothing Is Worse”, “Sorry From Now On”), having an open mind (“Moreoff More Off Than On”, “I Should Have Been Listening”), and trying to stay confident no matter how rough times get (“Self-Reliance”) .
To honor Nickels sharing art with Vaccaro, some tracks on the album also touch on the love for self-expression and art in all forms, including “Falling Water (Before You)” as a nod to fellow Chicagoan Frank Lloyd Wright, “NÜMBER GIRL” as an ode to Vaccaro’s favorite band, and “Show Me All Your Landscape Paintings” which commemorates the many pieces of art his friends and family members had throughout his life. Finally, there’s “What’s One More Place”, in which Vaccaro reflects on his contributions to art and his privilege getting to share them with friends, family, and fans.
If not for Sabrina Nickels, we wouldn’t have the Anthony Vaccaro we have today. Beach Bunny would certainly be a much different band. But here we are sharing Sabrina Nickels with you, certifying it as a testament to the power that good people and good art have over our lives. We thank Sabrina for her influence on Vaccaro, and we thank Vaccaro for creating Helicopter Leaves, and we thank you for reading this article about it.
Take a listen to Sabrina Nickels below:
Written by Will Sisskind
