Review: Evoletah ‘Calliope Dreaming’

Like an epic film score that soaks you into a spiraling illusive dream, Evoletah’s latest record, Calliope Dreaming is immersive and hard-hitting from the start. You’d not want to climb out of its sound world. Flashing black and white, retro and modern, the album is a collage of palettes, floating above the crossroads of genres and styles. It’s a stunning experiment with intense emotions. Sharp and thoughtful lyrics that seem to penetrate walls.

It’s hard not to get stirred and wrapped up in these unfulfilled dreams and questions. The sounds initiate a question, but it does not provide any answers, and it results in this lingering, haunting feeling — Calliope Dreaming doesn’t end on its last note. It follows you like a shadow, leaving its own bag of ghosts to ponder at midnight.

“The fool & the candle” is absolutely haunting with indie rock core mashed up in the free spirit of jazz and chiming melodies that get stuck in your head. It builds a kind of mood and state with great depth and unpredictability. “A glass against the wall” evokes a time-traveling, retro nostalgia but the way they combine it with elements from hip-hop gives it a revolutionary edge.

“Calliope dreaming,” the title track, is lo-fi against introspective piano. It’s moody and unresolved, but much less intense. “Ain’t that peculiar,” the ambitious track has sort of a rebellious soul of its own. It questions the question itself — What’s not peculiar about it? A reaction to an understatement because the track is so very unique, and probably the most standout in this record. “I cry out the hallelujah While everyone around me thinks ain’t that peculiar?”

Calliope Dreaming stings a little and leaves listeners ultimately haunted. In the slapping bass and spicy complexity, “Volatile cocktail” marks the end of a tornado of conflicts and proceeding. You think about how it leaves you. It’s not something you hear every day. That’s for sure.

Five Questions With Evoletah

Can you tell us about the story/concept behind 'Calliope Dreaming'? What is your overall artistic vision?

Matt: That’s a great question...We've always looked for themes or stories that could connect our albums together as a whole, from the sound, lyrics & vibe, right through to the artwork, so when we found out that 'Calliope, as the eldest of the Nine Greek muses, was the Goddess of music, song & dance', we felt like we'd won the jackpot. As she was also responsible for 'epic poetry', it really felt like the theme of the album was already there & we just had to write it.

Ben: I think you’ve captured this Matt – and we've certainly come to learn that we do create songs best when we follow the muse.

Have there been any challenges when making 'Calliope Dreaming'?

 Matt: There's obviously always challenges when making any album & God knows, EVOLETAH has had its fair share of them, although this one was strangely, fairly smooth sailing. Mainly as we'd started writing about 6 months into the pandemic, so here in Australia, there were plenty of lockdowns & as any musician will tell you, we used that to our complete advantage. The biggest challenge that we faced at the end of the album, was the distance between us had widened, in that now we're living in separate countries.

Ben: As mentioned by Matt, being separated in different countries at the end of production was extremely tricky but full credit must go to Matt, we have a musical affinity and I trust his input and ideas implicitly. Matt's creative force and work ethic is amazing and his instrumental arrangements and ability to massage a song to completion, I find inspiring. We feed off each other’s ideas however what Matt brings to the table is always heartbreakingly beautiful.

What has been one of your favourite memories with music/this album so far? 

Ben: Every part of making this album is a great memory, from long nights playing and jamming out ideas together in the studio right through as the final compositions formed. What trumps all this is spending time together drinking our favourite South Australian Shiraz, talk music of all genres and noodle on song ideas.

Matt: I think Ben has captured the essence of what has made the journey of this album an amazing memory in whole, although I do remember a moment when I was feeling a bit self conscious about the song 'The Fool & the candle'.

Then, when Ben heard it mixed completely for the first time through the studio monitors, I caught him 'eyes closed' and seemingly immersed in the track as if he was hearing it for the first time & so I have this acute memory now, of kind of hearing it through his ears. This in fact went a long way towards how I view the album now, as a whole.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into rock music? 

Matt: There's always been a deep desire to play/listen & be involved in music for me, since I was very small. My earliest memories of singing were around four years old & just harmonizing to my grandmother's piano playing, while sitting at her feet.

When I hit high school, one of the very first things I did was join any band I could to get as much experience as possible. I eventually got signed to the first of many record deals in my early twenties & spent thirteen years playing live & touring, then eventually building my own recording studio.

Ben: I started very young also, classically trained on piano from 5 years old. I frustrated all my music teachers as I just wanted to make up songs and play my own pieces!! I started up little original bands in primary and high school, writing eclectic songs and was always creating my own pieces. I formed an indie band later with some success, but work and life got in the way. It wasn’t until I reconnected with Matt (after many years previously playing as a session musician on one of 'The Violets' tracks) that I had a new musical lease on life. We found a musical connection that was invigorating and inspiring where great ideas flowed together."

How do you balance creativity and commercial success in your music career?

Matt: For me personally, it's never been an issue. I have had commercial success in the past & it's never been any kind of having to 'sell-out' type of thing. I find that if you're true to the art that you conjure, then if any of it gets recognized in any mass kind of way, then you can rest in the knowledge that it's genuinely representative of your true artistic self & not a contrivance aimed at being popular. In fact, I'd go as far as saying that there's definitely a real sense of liberty in not being popular!

Ben: I wholeheartedly agree with Matt, and I must say that working alongside him has been an extraordinary experience. The most remarkable aspect of our collaboration is our seemingly instinctual ability to craft music that truly encapsulates our authentic selves.