Since the release of their epochal full-length debut, ‘The Quiet Lamb’, there’s been much change in the Calla camp. Founder members Michael Love (bass) and Thom Corah (brass, harmonica, extraneous noise, etc.) have left the fold, with John Helps and Nicole Robson being shepherded in to fill the gaps (it would be a disservice to suggest they could actually be replaced) on bass and cello respectively. But then, HNIC’s lineup’s been subject to change since the off, with current drummer Adam Weikert having taken over Andrew Coles after their career-launching tour with iLiKETRAiNS (as they were known back then). Change, therefore, is integral to the band’s evolution.
‘Ragman Roll’, released as a limited edition 7” and download, marks the beginning of the next chapter in Her Name is Calla’s career. It’s every bit as epic and dramatic as we’ve come to expect. A piano-led intro that’s has a neoclassical edge while bordering on the upbeat contrasts with Tom Morris’ vocals as they swoop and soar amidst a wash of reverb in this minimalist setting before strings and sculpted feedback sweep in to create a building tension that never breaks before the end.
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Flipside ‘It Was Flood’ explores another facet of Her Name is Calla’s sound, with an almost folk-tinged undercurrent lying beneath a heartachingly mournful violin.
As ever, it will be interesting to see where they go next....
Her Name is Calla Online
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