We introduced you to Calico last year via a video for ‘Euphorism.’ That track was spacey, atmospheric, meandering. This time around, we’ve partnered with them again to stream ‘Trappist,’ a track that’s tight and focused in all the ways our previous exclusive from the Brighton quartet was not. Built around a recurring staccato keyboard riff that informs and lays the basis for the song’s several movements, things feel driven this time around. Tightly syncopated drums follow the keyboard pattern, interjected by long, languishing trumpet blasts. The track has shades of tone from likeminded jazzy second-cousins Alarmist and a confident, exploratory structure that would be right at home alongside the likes of Monobody.
One thing remains true with the new single: it’s as enchanting as its predecessor, though, the added catchiness is a welcome addition. The central hook acts as a strong backbone to bring some of the more disparate parts to heel, especially early on when the trumpet and guitar are playing bits that sound like something Maudlin of the Well might do if they laid off the astral projection stuff.
Surprisingly, the polished sound came completely out of DIY sessions. As keyboardist Chris Martyr explains:
Martyr: “We recored this all DIY without using a dedicated studio. The drums were recorded in a rehearsal room and everything was recorded in our bedrooms. Once we had the raw tracks down, me and our producer Alex went on to add layers and other instruments. We’ve really concentrated on making this EP the best we can, spending hours with our producer mixing and layering all the tracks on the upcoming EP. We’re really happy with how it’s sounding and can’t wait to get it all released and show what everyone what we’ve been up to.”
Fun fact: This track was called ‘Sneaky 7’s’ before they settled on ‘Trappist.’ You can do whatever you’d like with that information.
If you’re going to be in Brighton this Friday, you can see the boys premiere the single live. Look out for their yet-untitled EP this summer. In the meantime, you can find them on bandcamp.