Continuing to up the emotive ante set by 2005's surprisingly accessible Collisions, the band's new album, Strength in Numbers, goes straight for the jugular-- if not the heartstrings-- by wrapping more ideas around Calla's ambient, moody backbone than ever before.   Full text...

It exceeds expectations, sounding just as good as anything they’ve done prior.  Full text...

The instruments are so restrained when Valle creates a transcendent moment that it feels deficient. He sings with such honesty and emotion that when the music fails to match the truths he exposes, it's unfulfilling and feels inconsequential.  Full text...

It's wiry and savage and supple all at once.  Full text...

It's not as elegant as some of Calla's work, but it feels rougher and more passionate.  Full text...

Calla's last release Collisions was noisier, and while a few more effects pedals won't save the day, paying a little more attention to the songs' hooks and worrying less about drawing out a discomforting mood would earn Strength In Numbers another star-and-a-half or so.  Full text...