Often a popular choice among films time travel has often been a hard subject to portray in music. Set to release their brand new album Trips, Long Distance Calling attempt their own stab at the more mind bending of subject though not in the conventions we might be used to. Taking influence from the melting pot of music throughout the ages do the band emerge into an unknown land or familiar territory.
[tracklist]
- Getaway
- Reconnect
- Rewind
- Trauma
- Lines
- Presence
- Momentum
- Plans
- Flux
[/tracklist]
[details]
[length]49:00[/length]
[record_label]Inside Out[/record_label]
[release_date]April 29th 2016[/release_date]
[/details]
A compromise of instrumental and vocal, Long Distance Calling are not quite your run of the mill band. Opting instead for employing guest vocalists the band have had some of the best in the business, hard to pinpoint the bands influences the band share an eclectic palette. The key turn of “Getaway” sets the ignition for limitless creativity. Blooming from its eighties trimmings as the song progresses with some fantastic sounding chords that may be few but have a huge presence making a song, particularly an instrumental track memorable and incredibly well thought out.
Following this pattern the band are able to create sonic landscapes, “Reconnect” sees the first appearance of vocals with the metallic clang before a burst of energy put forward by the astounding performance from our session singer Petter Carlsen. Sounding at times similar to the likes of mid two thousands Metalcore come Emo the singers vocal range is perfect and sits atop the beautifully crafted tracks making for the likes of “Trauma” to have memorable hooks and a fantastic driving riff that would rival Rammstein despite their ebb and flow sound. Rather than musical ego massaging the band go back to the etymology of the song. Aiming to understand the creation of a solid track rather than misplaced and overzealous widdling. Moving throughout the musical spectrum the rotations of metaphorical colour give the album dark tonalities when needed seen in the likes of “Rewind” contrasting against the brighter sounds owing much to the vocal performance of our singer particularly one the “Lines” who’s eye of the storm like chorus envelops the listener.
Incorporating piano into instrumental indie themed “Momentum” brings to mind the more Muse influenced side of the band. Creating an ever changing sense to the music, a particularly hard act to follow without the presence of the tether that is vocals. Yet with the compromise of sporadic vocal appearances it leads to Trips to have variety both in tone and emotion without the listener being lost along the way. Leading to the final section of “Plans” seeing vocals and instruments coalesce to reach a fittingly cinematic crescendo before the twelve minute closer “Flux”. Neatly bookended by spoken word section sealing the latest chapter in Trips. Crafting an album that has limitless playback value the band have created a genre spanning, emotion transcending feast and one that you would never get full of.
[verdict]Yes[/verdict]
[why]The perfect compromise between well thought out instrumentation, a fantastic performance of vocals and an innate understanding of the song itself, Long Distance Calling have created their own fantastic inertia for their avant garde push forwards.[/why]
If you like what you read / heard then you can pick up the album here!
