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Calpurnia – Scout

Discussion in 'Article Discussion' started by Melody Bot, Aug 23, 2018.

  1. Melody Bot

    Your friendly little forum bot. Staff Member

    This article has been imported from chorus.fm for discussion. All of the forum rules still apply.

    On Calpurnia’s debut album, Scout, the four-piece group from Vancouver, Canada show off their garage-rock influences and showcase the promise of a very talented, young band. The band consists of vocalist/guitarist Finn Wolfhard (from Stranger Things), drummer Malcolm Craig, bassist Jack Anderson, and Ayla Tesler-Mabe rounding out the group on guitar and backing vocals. To simply write-off this group simply based on their age would be a big disservice to yourself and Calpurnia.

    The EP itself was recorded under the tutelage of producer Cadien Lake James (of Twin Peaks), and what he is able to get out of the four youngsters is remarkable. Not to say that Calpurnia were not capable of this album without James, but the polish and sheen that comes through the speakers is really amazing.

    The band members may all be under 17 years old, but what they lack in age, they certainly make up for in their brand of rock. At first listen of Scout, I was not detracted at all by Wolfhard’s lyrics or musicianship. In fact, I was thoroughly impressed by the maturity shown by the group in both his and his bandmates’ songwriting and composure. I heard influences ranging from fellow garage-rock bands such as The Strokes, Cage the Elephant, and even Vampire Weekend.

    The debut EP starts off with the song, “Louie,” and sets the tone for what is to come for this band. Wolfhard croons, “You see you’re drivin’ round town with your/Chip on your shoulder/Well, let’s see who gets the last laugh/After I call her/I feel cold/Oh lord, I feel cold.” The story that Wolfhard tells throughout this song, as he casually strums his electric guitar, is an interesting way of starting out a debut album. When the whole band kicks in at the end of this track, Calpurnia really begin to find their groove. “Louie” then begins to flow directly into “Wasting Time,” which features some of the best guitar work found throughout the EP.

    “Greyhound” slows the pace down a bit at the beginning of the track and gradually builds up to the crescendo towards the end of the song, where Wolfhard sings, “I know you wanted to be here/But now you’re gone/I’ll be thinking of you/When the lights come on/Hats off to you/For you to go/Wish you were here/But now it blows.” The theme of loss and moving on are apparent on this EP, but the way that Calpurnia moves through each song with bluesy guitars and slick drumbeats and fills is way beyond what I would ever been capable of when I was their age.

    The first single, “City Boy,” gets the groove/garage-rock feel going into full effect, with the exception of the closing seconds of the track. This particular portion features a blistering guitar solo, some backing vocals of “bah-bah-bah’s” to blend their style of rock with some surfer elements as well.

    By the time I arrived at the closing near-seven minute track, “Waves,” I was already mapping out the next opportunity to listen to Scout. The last track in particular reminded me a lot of the debuts by Ash and The Young Veins. While Calpurnia’s influences may be broad and high-profile, they have still shown me enough of their own personalities as well to make me incredibly curious in their future career.

     
  2. SEANoftheDEAD

    Trusted

    Couldn't get past the vocals in the first 2 tracks.
     
  3. shea Aug 23, 2018
    (Last edited: Aug 23, 2018)
    shea

    RIP Supporter

    Will check this out based solely on the band and album name.

    Edit: Yeah, I also can't deal with the vocals..
     
    SEANoftheDEAD likes this.
  4. Colin Your Enthusiasm

    It's nobody's battle but your own. Prestigious

    I thought this was average at best unfortunately. Wanted to like it but just couldn't really get into it.
     
  5. Dust Of Fallen Rome

    Regular

    Yeah nah, this was so boring. Also Mike is the worst character in Stranger Things.
     
  6. Bartek T.

    D'oh! Prestigious

    I for one think it's quite awesome for kids that young, now I'm half way through the material and I'm quite surprised by that sound.