KALLAI CHANNELS THE ETHEREAL SOUNDSCAPES OF SHOEGAZE IN “THE WAVE”
Fans of the signature guitar sound from My Bloody Valentine and the ethereal vocals from Lush will love “The Wave” by Kallai. The Portland band’s new single is just a taste of their debut LP, “We Are Forever.”
Like a sonic heaven that blasts all your senses, “The Wave” truly hits you like one. It begins with a Midwest emo guitar tone, and then quickly transitions into the signature sound of shoegaze. Guiding you through a story of rage to acceptance, some points leave you feeling like you’re drowning as the melody calms. All of a sudden, you’re shot back up to the light, as the band crescendos into the dramatic chorus, with repeating variations of “I am,” personifying the story character as different elemental themes. This, combined with the feeling of being a “monster,” embraces being branded as different.
Reminiscent of the ethereal echoes of Cocteau Twins, the airy vocals convey the contrasting dark lyrics flawlessly. Each piece of the band meshes perfectly together to create an impactful taste of fresh and surreal shoegaze music. While adopting a lighter tone compared to their previous hit, “Always/Never,” it still works on every level and is just as impactful. Similar to the themes of water and wind present, you feel like you’re floating on a cloud, being guided along as the wind takes you by storm.
If Kallai isn’t on your radar, they should be. “The Wave” is an electrifying single that displays the band’s strengths and is an exciting glimpse into their future.
