It’s refreshing to know a band like Kalacoma exists. Still carving out an impressive cavity in the hip Melbourne indie scene, this five-piece has stayed true to their desire to push boundaries. According to frontman Nick Herrera, this is the kind of music you can benefit from no matter what; “You know when you hear something and you don’t necessarily like it? But you know they’re taking it to the next level, and their music is really onto something.”
At the launch of their latest EP, Lost For Words, Herrera was confident yet poignant, intense yet delicate, and just that much clearer without the seas of dreadlocks he sported until very recently. Amid a sea of colourful pyramids, he lit up the stage with every trip-tonic ebb and flow of the music.
Without conceit, the set started with an as yet untitled track, which edged the crowd into submission as Herrera slowly warmed up his voice. The follow-up and title track from the EP rang true with one of the band’s biggest influences, Radiohead, utilising the syncopated beat and offbeat rhythm made famous by the UK outfit. This sound, the backbone of Kalacoma, permeated through the set as Herrera’s vocals directed a rollercoaster of sentiment. In Nancy, like a stroll through the Wild West of Hollywood, there was an undercurrent of longing while its instant successor White Line Fever drew out a cheeky glint in the eye, impossible to ignore.
This energy peaked in the more upbeat of offerings, Spiral Eyes, as well as crowd favourite Anxiety. This intensity soared through Waves, one of the band’s well-known songs and an apt illustration of light and dark that had the audience on the tips of their toes waiting for the beat to drop. And the drop – not an ounce too heavy, yet it’s still so powerful. Just like the video, it surely sent some heads exploding (perhaps internally this time).
Closing with a stripped-back instrumental that showcased an emotionally charged vocal from Herrera followed by a highlight from the new EP, There For, it felt like the audience had just begun to warm up. It was at this time the band thanked the room for heaving on their behalf and disappeared into the night – no encore to be seen. The air of longing extended from stage to dance floor. Until next time.
BY JEN WILSON
Loved: The rollercoaster of vocal intensity.
Hated: No encore.
Drank: Whatever Thom Yorke likes to drink.
