If the shoegaze sound errs on the side of heavier, post-rock urges and alt-rock energies, and dream-pop moves towards more delicate and more easily accessible sonic realms, then Kallai not only move between both sounds to create “That Wave” but somehow manage to weave one through the other seamlessly.
At the heart of the song is a raw, alt-rock guitar sound that ebbs and flows to create a dynamic. But it is how Kallai colours and combines it with lighter touches that makes this so special. When this growling sound is dialled down, it leaves room for sonic shards of chiming guitar to become the focal point. But even when it is cranked up, the floating, ethereal vocals balance it out. A perfect meeting of worlds, opposites attracting. I guess this is what you would call Dream-gaze!
I always enjoy songs with interesting backstories, and this is indeed one of them. Drawing inspiration from historian Susan Stryker’s “My Words to Victor Frankenstein Above the Village of Chamounix,” it muses on what it is like to be treated as a monster in modern society, something that the anonymity and power of the internet, in particular, has made ever more prevalent. However, the song also suggests that metaphorical monsters can not only bring about destruction, but they can also bring about renewal and rejuvenation.
A clever song, both in its message and its music, but we never expect anything less from Kallai.
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