Following the departure of founder members Michael Love and Thom Corah, the future of Her Name is Calla was surely in some doubt, especially with front man and main songwriter Tom Morris devoting a large portion of his time to his burgeoning solo career, releasing a seemingly endless stream of EPs and a clutch of (very good) albums in very quick succession. After all, what could they do as a trio consisting of a drummer, violinist and singer / guitarist? Regroup and recruit anew, of course.
Its now possible to see that Morris’ spate of solo releases was a vital part of the band’s reinvention. An eternally restless soul, he had to keep creating and keep pushing to maintain some kind of focus, and to work through the myriad traumas that had beset him and the band – something he hasn’t shied away from documenting on-line.
With a new lineup featuring Maybeshewill bassist John Helps and Nicole Robson on cello and lending additional vocals, Her Name is Calla have returned refreshed and reinvigorated. Moreover, if ‘The Quiet Lamb’ suffered from an excessive gestation and could be seen in hindsight to be the work of a band on the brink of collapse, ‘Navigator’ is the work of a band alive to new possibilities as they venture into uncharted territory.
‘The Roots Run Deep’ springs the album’s first big surprise, taking the band’s trademark bleakness in a hitherto unseen direction, a spacious synth-driven piece that’s stark and glacial, brooding and atmospheric – more Kate Bush or Zola Jesus than Radiohead. The first track from the album to have been slipped into the public domain, it’s epicness lies in the production rather than its duration, and it’s not even remotely post-rock: instead, its starkness is tempered by a breathy pop edge, it’s taut emotive qualities held in place by an electronic aspect previously not a part of Her Name is Calla’s repertoire. But this isn’t reinvention for its own sake: what we’re hearing here is a band evolving, and, dare I say it of a band who’ve built a reputation (and a devoted fanbase) for making very serious music, maturing.
The subtle, sparse, piano-led single cut ‘Ragman Roll’ is still achingly haunting and utterly moving, but it’s ‘Meridian Arc’ that really hits home. It’s the kind of sweeping drama with guitars, thunderous drums and soaring strings, all soaked in reverb and driven by volume that marks a return to the finest moments of ‘The Heritage’ and reminds us precisely why Her Name is Calla captivated us in the first instance.
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The title track, strategically positioned in the middle of the album is a slow-swirling, string-tinged acoustic song that blossoms into pastoral sonic cinematography some five minutes into its eight and a half minute stretch before taking a turn into darker territory, again evoking the spirit of earlier works like ‘Condor and River’ minus the explosive crescendos. What it demonstrates is the band’s ability to keep a tight rain on the atmosphere and the noise, building tension ahead of the majestic finale.
If the brief semi-ambient and soaringly ethereal interlude of ‘A Second Life’ reveals yet another previously unexplored facet of Her Name is Calla, so the dainty ‘It Was Flood’ is perhaps the song that most closely resembles Tom Morris’ solo outings in its introspective acoustic pluckings and meditative feel. The 11-minute ‘Dreamlands’, which appeared as a B-side to ‘Maw’, the single that appeared shortly after ‘The Quiet Lamb’ as something of a stop-gap sits comfortably, but doesn’t afford the listener the same luxury as it swells to an uncomfortable crackle of distortion that devastates the mellow acoustic vibe after just a couple of minutes. Conceivably their most experimental rack to date, it doesn’t readily conform to any genre, or make for easy listening, either – and that’s actually a good thing, revealing as it does their willingness to push their own musical boundaries and a desire to break from the confines of rhythm and melody. It’s a haunting and curiously powerful piece.
The album’s closer, ‘Perfect Prime’ is mellow and drifting, but rather than being an anticlimax, it feels more like a much-needed climb-down after the emotional tempests the album has visited and explored. Monumental in every way, ‘Navigator’ feels like a rebirth. It’s probably Her Name is Calla’s most fully realised and accomplished work to date.
Her Name is Calla Online
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