EP REVIEW: Revolution – Call Me Amour
Mental health is ever present. We as a society have become much better at talking about what ails us, for the most part anyway. The rock and metal sphere may have been at the forefront of that but are we now oversaturated with odes to the malady? Does this mean newer material will fail to have the same impact as a result? Hoping this isn’t the case are CALL ME AMOUR with their debut EP Revolution. While this may be the outfit’s first output together, this isn’t the first incarnation. In previous lives, members have played Download Festival, and toured with the likes of PAPA ROACH and LIMP BIZKIT before fading into the ether. With a new lease on life, CALL ME AMOUR slither into the scene with six tracks of sizzling synths melding with big riff energy – a metal alchemist’s wet dream were it not something which had been done already.
That being said, elements of POP EVIL wind their way through Blackout. Distorted guitars meld with far off vocals as chatter surrounding ostracization enters the fray. “Wait til I’m sober to tell everything to you” brings the song to a slightly slower chorus, though this doesn’t take away the anthemic feel of bringing the misfit toys together and celebrating the fact no one really functions “properly” nowadays. Subtle electronic elements breeze through the second verse and it’s this slow build of instrumentals which leaves us slightly disappointed that the corresponding chorus doesn’t grow any larger. Statements of “my mental state is not translating” combined with harmonies which mirror the voices in our head lend themselves wonderfully to what is essentially a great opening track.
It becomes slightly difficult for us to label CALL ME AMOUR as one genre or another, as it is with many others due to so many different elements coming into play. Chasing Bugs’ ominous synths bubble beneath dark guitars. The spoken “I like to get stoned / Be on my own” juxtaposed by a more animated vocal leads to comparisons to PAPA ROACH or even MADINA LAKE in places. When it comes to the synth-led chorus, it’s clear CALL ME AMOUR have their concoction perfectly brewed. The debut output for many projects is a proving ground in which to find themselves but this four-piece seem to have it down pat already.
The ethereal “welcome to the broken dream” leads into possibly the best track of the EP; IMFKD. What sounds like an operating system booting up is accompanied by a soft boom into the chilling “I’ve been living someone else’s life”. Where some may expect an aggressive foray into baring one’s soul, CALL ME AMOUR keep themselves restrained. That isn’t to say the track is holding something back but more that it demonstrates the facet of depression which makes us ghosts in the shell. The machination within the second chorus plays beautifully into that imagery after what could be described as an energetic chorus. What makes IMFKD an astounding piece of music is that a lot is left to interpretation. Make no mistake, the protagonist of this track has some affliction but with the introduction of the female persona accompanied by “trying to find myself at the end of a bottle”, are we talking about self-made demise, self-destruction, or are we simply circling the drain?
The trouble is now how can a track like that be followed? Something soft yet so grandiose. Taking inspiration from a table lamp and some illicit substances, Girl On The Wall’s dark and understated verses start off very well. The wheels start to wobble when the track introduces a guitar-led instrumental. While the axel is tightened again in the second half of this particular verse, we’re unsure glitching guitars are needed in order to portray an altering state of mind. “Do you like who you are?” leads into a better placed rock-orientated chorus as it illustrates diving through the looking glass. It’s here we’re introduced to the lower side of the high; hallucinations, paranoia, “where is my mind?”. Flashes of something ominous loom in the distance yet they don’t impact the way we feel it should – perhaps something which translates much better in the live arena.
Which leads us to the final duo of the EP. Drop The Knife unfortunately passes by with little fanfare. Speed ramps up very quickly into what we can only describe as 2000s alt rock. That’s not us hating on it as that era produced a lot of great bands, but to get to greatness much of the silt had to be sifted out. “Wake up to the reality” should lend itself to something much bigger than it does which leaves us deflated. La-La’s buzzing instrumental picks up the slack somewhat as CALL ME AMOUR brings things to a close. Breathy verses swell into choruses depicting the hourglass slowly emptying. “Sentimental feelings as you drag me down” may feel cliché to those who have danced to this particular number more than once in their lifetimes yet it’s the outro which calls our attention. While we’re “waiting for a miracle”, we’re given a very glitch-laden instrumental. Perhaps it’s a sign we’re waiting for something that’ll never come, its only downfall being it overstays its welcome somewhat.
So how have the UK quartet fared? As with any revolution there are good and bad points to this EP as we’ve discussed. However on the whole there are a lot more positives than there are negatives, and anything that may be construed as a negative should only be something to improve on rather than cast out entirely. CALL ME AMOUR have an awful lot going for them as the first half of the EP goes to show. We will maintain IMFKD should be the flagship song for this band, but with time and a few more alchemy sessions, CALL ME AMOUR have a very bright future ahead of them.
Rating: 8/10
Revolution is set for release on November 17th via Circular Wave Records.
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