For just two guys, the Helio Sequence can generate a serious racket. With the effusive drumming of Benjamin Weikel (who also plays keyboards), and the nimble use of effects pedals from guitarist/vocalist Brandon Summers, their 2000 debut Com Plex leaned toward My Bloody Valentine-like daydreamy noisescapes. Their output since then has evolved, with a deepening commitment to pop melody and structure. Keep Your Eyes Ahead is the truest expression so far of that trait. Summers maintains a grainy quality to his singing, but he's added sweetness and a lighter sense of tone. That shift toward lightness extends to the songwriting, which on Eyes is consistently catchy and focused. "Can't Say No" uses a double-time cadence in the verse to make the song's hook burst like the sun through a hurricane’s eye. Not that they’ve forgotten how to bring the shoegaze; "Hallelujah," for one, flies off into space on a wave of epic, bliss-fuzz guitar. Still, the record is short and cries out for one last big scream. Instead, they end with the whisper of "Broken Afternoon" and the folksy, Dylan-esque "No Regrets." Their increasing subtlety has cost them some grandeur, but their melodious gifts are more seductive than ever. --Matthew Cooke