Kallai (pronounced call-eye), born from the fusion of Trance to the Sun, Luscious Apparatus, and Lost Echoes in 2023, crafts a mesmerizing blend of post-punk, shoegaze, and doom, weaving tales of melancholy and hope through reverb-soaked guitars and ethereal synths, in their latest single, “Always/Never”. Keep reading for my thoughts!
Press play, and you’re immediately subjected to delightfully crunchy, warm guitars soundtracked atop a steady pulse of drums. The atmosphere here is a runaway win, with the wafty reverbs and the sung vocals sitting quite nicely within the mix. The bass here shines too, with just enough articulation to yield a sense of interest and evolution to the song, bringing in the energy changes in the song quite fluidly as one journeys through the song.
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When you get to the chorus is when things really pick up on “Always/Never” with a delightful air of post-rock and metal starting to make itself evident. The drumming is dramatically more intense, and in typical good-post-rock fashion, the motifs never really go away; they instead evolve into different forms throughout the track, with a sense of ingenuity and continuity that amazes the listener, be it listen one, or listen one hundred.
The production gets the balance right in the sweet spot, with the aggression in the lead guitars very well-controlled, and the rhythm guitars playing perfect support. The control exhibited in the mix is also worth props, as it manages to bring forth the true tones of the instruments and the vocals, while keeping their energy perfectly moulded to the track, making for a coherent, and if I may say so myself, a gentle, pleasing listen.
All in all, “Always/Never” by Kallai: this is the kind of song that would charm a diverse spectrum of rock fans, be they the classic rock kind, or the experimental post-rock kind, or the pure metalhead. A delight to listen to! Check out the track here:
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