MAW

I remember some two or three years ago I was attracted by this band's name and subscribed to their newsletter, besides visiting their sites where one can listen / download their music. They are a nice band in the post rock vein, but now I've realized their sound is not plain and not the same in all the releases, they change and implement new sounds that might be attractive for different audiences.

And though it is always great to start listening to a band with a studio album, sometimes it is nice to give a spin to the EPs or singles that were previously released. In this case, "Maw" is a 3-song release with two short tracks and one longer. It was released in 2011 and you can listen to it through their Bandcamp.

The first track is "Maw" and I will be honest, the guitar sound reminded me a lot of Radiohead, in particular to the "Optimistic" song. The rhythm might be alike, but anyway the sound is not the same. After one minute and a half the music makes an explosion, more intensity is given to the listener. So actually the sound in this track is not that post- rockish after all. "The Beat that my Heart Skipped" really contrasts with the starter track. The sound is much softer, like an indie ballad. The voice is nice but I admit is not really memorable, and musically the song is good, with a Talk Talk meets Bark Pyschosis feeling in some moments.

The last and longest track is "Dreamland" with almost 12 minutes of interesting music that slowly starts but is never boring. The different textures created by the instruments, along with the voice, produce a kind of somber but at the same time bright atmosphere. After two minutes the mood changes and tension can be perceived. Later it starts again with some distant sounds, it is like the motion picture soundtrack of an old film. Later vocals reappear and the atmosphere is much more emotional, I really like it. Minutes later the song returns to its original form, with acoustic guitar, a nice melodic voice and a soft sound. Very nice composition!

In three songs we could hear 3 different faces of Her Name is Calla, here I'll stay with the latter. My final grade will be 3 stars.

Enjoy it!