EP Review: Callas - Days
Reviewed by Rob Barker
July 26th 2024 will see Cork’s Callas release Days upon the world. The debut EP will introduce three songs; the title track Days, along with Sunlight, and Porous. I’ll talk more about the individual tracks below, but first, the EP in general.
It’s good. Very good. Callas are one of those bands where you can hear a lot of different influences and inspirations, yet they don’t offer too much worship to any one band by imitating them to a fault. They have succeeded in carving their own sound and unique perspective within the experimental/post-rock genres. It can be tough to compare one band to another, especially if it’s perceived to be an insult, however in this case (and all cases where I do compare), it’s entirely intended as a point of reference, and very much from my own perspective, which let’s be honest, you’re going to get from reading my review.
Days kicks in with one hell of a guitar tone; noticeably powerful and dominant throughout the track. This first song, in a way, reminded me a bit of if Earth was played at a more “routine” tempo. Shoegaze-esque vocals slide smoothly over the quilt of noise, with an almost-but-not-quite stoner vibe. Loose timing by the band works nicely with the live feel of the track, and makes you think of the power that this trio could bring to the stage.
Sunlight follows, causing the listener to easily get lost in a haze of fuzz and dirge. The band describe this track as “like the eeriness of a funeral on a sunny day”, which is far grander wordsmithery than I am capable of, so I’ll hand it to them and use a direct quote. I don’t usually like doing that, but they’ve nailed it with that one.
Porous finishes the all-too-short EP with a cleaner, darker sound. Reminds me a bit of Deftones’ more melodious parts, accompanied by a minimalist piano track, reminiscent of the more experimental side of Radiohead. A hauntingly beautiful track.
As with all good debuts, Days intrigues me greatly, leaving me excited for more to come. It’s heavy tones are superbly balanced by ethereal beauty; it accomplishes both rawness and a polished finish – the production of the EP is spot-on for the sound that the band have worked to craft. Absolutely have a listen to this and support Callas in their journey as a band, we want more from them!
