Formed at the start of the pandemic, British Columbia-based folk and roots band CALICO invites you to embrace growth and transformation in the midst of life’s tribulations.
Their brand spankin’ new EP, A Midnight Moon, dropped today February 16th, bringing forth a rousing new collection of dreamy folk songs to listeners’ ears.
CALICO is made up of several seasoned professional musicians who have made their marks in previous musical iterations. Tony Ceccheti (lead vocals, guitar), Chris Couto (drums, vocals), Will Lloyd (lead guitar), and JeanSe LeDoujet (bass, vocals) combine their technical expertise and poetic lyrics to create a soothing, nostalgic sound that welcomes joy, peace, and love into the world.
A Midnight Moon opens with “Rolling Hills,” which reads like a free verse poem. Gentle vocals sing, “As the sun lurks in the midst of the day / Won’t you please come my way,” over a medley of instruments, blending genres of folk, Americana, and indie rock to create a sound that is uniquely their own. It is a warm invitation to the rest of the 7-track album.
The sound of “Rolling Hills” carries over into the third song, “Don’t You Stray,” a song about family. CALICO is big on family, though the lyrics allow you to ascribe your own meanings of family to the song. Lines like “Don’t you stray / Without your love” remind us of how important it is to make space for love in your heart and pour it into others. Intentional guitar licks and delicate, beating drums compliment both the vocals and the message of the song.
The fourth track, “Take Me With You,” is a meta expression of love. The “old friend” mentioned is the guitar on which all of CALICO’s profound projects have been written. The track utilizes the sound of acoustic plucking under long, dreamy electric riffs. Emotive and somber, the song explores the passage of time in reference to something that will always stay the same.
With three impressive albums under their belt in a few short years, A Midnight Moon offers a look into the band’s current creative message. The poetic nature of these songs combined with their instrumental savvy may remind listeners of the musical stylings of The War on Drugs and Nathaniel Rateliff.
With members coming from JUNO-nominated bands such as Mazacote & The Paperboys among others, CALICO’s new LP promotes deep musical exploration, creating what amounts to an intentional album spanning multiple roots-oriented genres, never fully committing to one, but giving a respectful nod to them all.
CALICO will be indulging on a small island tour in British Columbia on February 24th-26th promoting the release of A Midnight Moon.
