We get truly excited every time a new shoegaze and alt-rock record comes to town. By now, the two genres have somewhat blurred into an aural continuum, a space where guitars are sharp and luscious, and vocals feel otherworldly and expansive. It’s a cathartic formula; one that’s fully on display in Kallai’s comeback single, ‘The Wave’. Following up on last year’s homonymous EP, the Portland-based outfit is now gearing up for their debut album, ‘We Are Forever’, expected later this year via Little Cloud Records.
Motivated by the sizeable amount of praises they received for the EP (KEXP and Shoegazer Alive, among others), Kallai are now observed doubling down on their feverish sound, dialling down the darkness and raising the spacious guitar tones to the max. Of course, distortions are still here, but there’s a brighter tone in it, especially in Cate Huke’s heavenly, otherworldly vocals, truly inspiring and escapism-driven. David Gross, Daniel Henderson, and Brian Wilcher complete the stunning lineup, taking the project to higher creative territories.
In a way, ‘The Wave’ feels more polished and less gritty than anything else in Kallai’s past catalogue. It’s a healthy sign that the band is growing, refining their style and direction as they go along. Recorded at Revolver Studios by Collin Hegna (The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Federale) and by the band at their own Synthetikit Studio, the track oscillates between ethereal and earthy, a dualism that fits Kallai very well.
Speaking about the inspiration behind the song’s lyricism, the group explain: “It tells a compelling story of the transformational power of rage. Drawing inspiration from historian Susan Stryker’s ‘My Words to Victor Frankenstein Above the Village of Chamounix,’ the song delves into the emotional experience of being treated like a monster by society.”
Recommended! Discover ‘The Wave’ on Spotify:
