There’s a problem with pop – rock bands. No matter how good they are, no matter how catchy they are they’re always going to struggle to find that x factor which separates them from the other 34534539 bands playing the same style.
Enter Calerway. A pop-rock/punk outfit all the way from Perth – the world’s most isolated capital city. The band has chops, there’s no questioning that. The songs are sharp, they kick in all the right areas and the melodies are sung in that same nasal tone that all the kids seem to love these days.
So why isn’t this CD getting a better score than 70? Everything is as it should be…. And therein lies the problem. There’s nothing to set Calerway apart from their Aussie contemporaries. Bands like Gyroscope, After The Fall and In Fiction are all playing the same game as Calerway except they’re doing it better.
I think what separates the leaders of the pop-rock pack from Calerway is the vocals. JP definitely has some great melodies up his sleeve but I find his vocal style to be the most generic thing about the band. If Calerway are able to remedy this problem then they’ve definitely got the riffs and hooks to take it to the music buying public.
This is far from a bad CD so if you’re into any of the previously
mentioned bands, give Calerway a listen. Just don’t expect a life
changing musical experience.
1. Loaded
2. I Lay Awake
3. Eye's Don't Lie
4. Always Away
5. Matter If Time
