A Call to Arms

The Callers’ latest release Life of Love shows off their musical skills in a seductive style. This album transcends the boundaries of today’s typical pop or indie groups and dives into the psychedelic spaces of the mind.

Originally from Nola, this Brooklyn trio has developed a very interesting and unique sound. Alternate time signatures and off beats characterize this form of progressive indie music. They could be an unplugged and jazzy Soundgarden with a female front woman, as Sara Lucas projects her pretty vocals and lyrical beauty into the abundant white space to keep the music flowing.

The Callers hit unexpected notes and use exotic Eastern scales to entice the listener. It sounds like what you’d hear with a sitar and a tabla drum with vocals on top as the main focus point instead of the sitar. The song structures and writing style are progressive in that they start simple, quiet, and slow then gradually get louder towards a crescendo finale. A word of warning, they may be hard to digest for the typical pop music listener. (But that’s what makes them cool)

The songs on Life of Love have a dream-like quality. Callers use layering and panning to enhance their sound. Quick diminished guitar chords and high-energy drums with a Bauhaus sense of timing (Bela Lugosi’s Dead) are used in “You Are An Arc.” The vocal hits a flat fifth note of the scale to add a darkness and tension to the song. Sara’s bluesy vocals in “Heartbeat” resemble Adele’s new single “Rolling in the Deep.” It has a catchy and repetitive chorus that swells with intensity. “Dressed in Blue” is a neat song with an unusual rhythm, cool groove, and fast open string guitar riffs. The style here resembles some of Zeppelin’s Eastern-influenced songs from Physical Graffiti or Led Zeppelin III.

The Callers are pushing new ground with the release of Life of Love. Their spacey and unusual musical stylings challenge the listener to experience a more exotic sound than what is heard on the radio today. They are like a fine wine and take an acquired taste to appreciate.