EP REVIEW: Callas - Days

A delicious three-track EP  landed in our in-box, from post-rock outfit Callas who originate from Cork, Ireland. The band comprises Dom Murphy - Vocals, Guitars, Keys, Cormac Shanley – Bass, Ruairi Lynch - Guitars/Production, and Evan Prendergast – Drums. 

Boldly stating that this is for fans of Anathema, Smashing Pumpkins, Deftones etc, one can only congratulate them for nailing this completely. Over the 11-minutes that these three songs take, you are instantly taken into a hypnotic phase, as the band’s dreamlike sounds envelop and caress in equal measure. Drifting from light to dark with a textured approach that sees the band explore themes including loss, death, despair and rebirth, it’s an emotional rollercoaster that showcases the band’s melding of styles and genres. 

The sprawling emotion of Days starts the EP, an instant burst of melancholy that lingers, tugging at the heart strings and pushing you towards a dark corner to curl up and shiver. The soundscape is somewhat dreamier though, allowing the light to puncture the gathering clouds with an upbeat edge. It’s an intoxicating brew that bewitches, captivates and hits right in the feels. Despite its overwhelming misery, Callas bring contrasts in large swathes, allowing both highs and lows to be experienced in just over four-minutes. 

Sunlight is next, possessing a similar mood to the opening track. A song that accents the amplification of sadness on a sunny day, it’s the same heady mix that draws the listener in. I felt emotionally drained after this one had finished, without really knowing why that had happened. Sometimes, it’s the pure magnitude of the music that washes you along, and this is the case here. The slowness of the song allows the atmosphere to build, creating anticipation towards a crescendo that is cathartic and dramatic. 

This leaves the final track, Porous. A shimmering introduction echoes Anathema at their most ethereal, a combination of textured delivery which sees haunting piano combine with almost disturbed vocals and a guitar line that hangs rather than dominates. It’s another chilling impact, one that stops you in your tracks as you listen with detail to the layered textures that Callas create. It’s short, just over 2:30, but powerful all the same. Experimental in style, one wonders if this band are destined for the stages of ArcTangent and the like. This is a band who could be huge in the post-rock scene, admittedly an arena I know little about. What I do know is that this is an EP that will no doubt be well-received, and with good reason. It’s simply gorgeous.

Days is released on 26th July

Review by Hutch