There have been turbulent times of late in the camp of Her Name is Calla, with the departure of two founder members in the form of bassist Michael Love and multi-instrumentalist Thom Corah. Amicable as their parting ways was, it unquestionably marks the end of a significant chapter in the band’s history. Turbulence has always swirled at the core of the band’s music, too, the graceful elegance they’re capable of often juxtaposed with immense crescendos that boil and burn with a scorching ferocity. Live, they’ve proved they’re capable of being both one of the quietest bands ever to grace a stage, and also one of the loudest, sometimes during the course of a single song.
While the long-term impact of their leaving remains to be seen and the band soldier on as a three-piece consisting of guitar, drums and violin, there can be little refuting the fact that front man, singer, guitarist and keyboard player Tom Morris isn’t only the band’s focal point but also their primary creative force.
Never one to rest on his laurels, he’s released a succession of solo EPs in the wake of Her Name is Calla’s full-length debut proper, ‘The Quiet Lamb’, and keeping the fires burning he’s now releasing a full-length solo album. It’s an interesting work, and rather than mirror the turbulence of the band’s existence or reproduce the turbulent sonic maelstrom of songs like ‘Condor and River’, ‘The Union’ or ‘New England’, Morris has paired it right back to just voice accompanied by acoustic guitar to produce a work that’s poignantly introspective and conspicuously quiet.
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Is it a radical departure from his work with Her Name is Calla? Yes and no. The earliest of their releases, such as ‘The White and the Skin’ were sparse acoustic affairs that drew heavy influence from ‘Bends’ era Radiohead. While with each subsequent release the band would push the dynamics and volume a little further, both ‘The Heritage’ and ‘The Quiet Lamb’ had their share of quiet, reflective moments. Morris’ leanings toward the epic is still in evidence, too, with three songs extending beyond the six minute mark, reaching a truly enormous scale on the penultimate track, ‘Water’, which peaks and swerves for a full twelve minutes.
Some of the songs have been previously released, appearing on the EPs – most of which are now sold out – while others are specifically album tracks. So, while being in part a compilation, there’s a definite sense of the track-listing being drawn as an album, with well-considered shifts in mood.
At his best, Morris sounds fragile, brooding and melancholic, his voice haunting. Having an impressive vocal range certainly helps, and he uses it to forge an atmosphere of quiet intensity.
TE Morris Online
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