Autumn may have officially arrived yesterday, but who says we have to let go of summer’s warmth just yet? While the winds howl outside, music has a way of transporting us to sunnier, carefree days—and that’s exactly what the debut album from Southern California’s The Calamatix does. Their sound wraps around you like a lingering summer breeze, reminding us that the season doesn’t have to end when the weather turns.
The Calamatix’s self-titled album is summer in musical form. The music is laid back, chilled and made to groove to. The music is a blend of reggae, ska and punk. “Love, Lies and Alibis” is the track that piqued my attention to check out this band further, a catchy song that’s chorus will stick in your head for days.
Track ‘”Still Rudy'” celebrates punk rebellion and individuality, and the album is co produced by Rancid’s Tim Armstrong, giving them extra punk points. All the songs are made to dance to, but the songs were actually inspired by a dark time in singer Raylin Joy’s life. She said of the album “When this record first came into existence years ago, I was going through one of the hardest periods of my life. I was really struggling with depression and I didn’t have a lot to live for, honestly, at the time. I was really, really struggling. Then I would go in the studio and we’d write a song and I’d just be on the biggest high. So, for a long time, this record was one of the main things keeping me going.”
Raylin has managed on this album to turn those dark days into light, as musically, the songs feel like a sunny day, even when the lyrics explore deeper emotional themes. For example, “Dread” is about trying to let someone go, with lyrics like ‘I know we’re not meant to be but I still love you completely, I know we both need to be free so why can’t I let go?’
Other songs are reassuring and optimistic, like “Enjoy this Life'” which is about living your life by your own rules with lyrics like ‘Someone is trying to turn my head, but I’m not gonna listen, gonna trust myself instead, if you’re not gonna be right there, then I’m not arguing, I took control, I bared my soul and now I’m stylin’
Overall, if you fancy listening to something to remind you of lazy summer days, and to feel uplifted when you’re feeling low, this album is just the ticket.
The Calamatix is out now on Hellcat records, you can get it here
You can find The Calamatix in the following places: Facebook/Instagram
Review by Hayley Foster da Silva
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