Toronto-based artist, Caldher releases his sophomore EP Momentary and urges us to stay present.
Caldher – Momentary
Caldher is carving out his path in the industry with his distinct brand of indie songwriting. Having grown up in a musical environment, he has always been fascinated by different expressions of sound and it’s this love for musical diversity that fuels his passion for music.
Chalder’s music is a captivating cocktail of melancholic lyrics, alt-rock, R&B and jazz inflexions. After nearly two years in the making, Momentary delivers an atmospheric, gritty and expansive soundscape that perfectly carries his sincere vocals. This EP serves as a reminder that life is a web of pain and pleasure, that everything you are feeling will pass eventually and sometimes all we can do is stay present in the moment as much as possible.
Kicking the EP off is ‘Thursday Mess’, an upbeat track with poignant lyrics. It explores the feelings that come with falling in love with someone who doesn’t love you back or have the same relationship goals as you. Despite this, you always end up going back to them and offering them your support whenever it is needed because of your attachment to them. With compelling guitar melodies, dreamy vocals and four on-the-floor drumming, this song will have you up and dancing.
‘Make You Stay’ will have you tapping your foot and nodding your head as you listen along. The energetic instrumentation is quite a contrast to the melancholic lyrics. This track tells a touching tale of a romantic encounter that has happened after a couple of drinks and the questioning that comes along with it of whether it is real feelings or just a result of the effect of the alcohol. Despite this, the writer wants to remain present in the moment in case it doesn’t go any further than that night and just enjoy the person’s presence. This tune is sure to get stuck in your head with the catchy hook “And I’ll keep you in my arms today.”
Unlike the last two tracks on the ‘Momentary’ EP, ‘Not Enough’ is a softer, ballad-type tune with soft lilting piano melodies and lyrics that will be sure to tug on your heartstrings. It dives into the emotions experienced when you start to notice that a relationship is coming to an end and the way that you try to cling to the good moments to give yourself some hope that it will work out eventually. ‘Not enough’ is a song that is sure to bring a tear to your eye as we have all experienced being in a position where we give our everything to someone and they end up walking away. The lyrics are eloquently written by Caldher, painting a vivid picture for the listeners.
‘Constellations’, is a slower track that has a low-fi/indie-pop feel to it. Starting off with just piano before being joined by guitar, synthesizers, drums and bass, the instrumentation is perfectly arranged to compliment and highlight Caldher’s lyrics and the story that he is portraying. This song explores the moment that you realize you are starting to fall for someone and the fear that comes along with it. The lyrics accurately capture the questioning that comes with realizing your feelings for someone and wondering what this means; wondering if this will result in you having your heartbroken or having the connection deepen between you and having it all work out in the end.
Similar to ‘Not Enough’, ‘Eclipse’ is a ballad-styled track with the instrumentation being focussed mostly around the piano at the start, with the feint playing of guitar and bass in the background. Further in the song the arrangement changes to something slightly heavier as a distorted guitar solo becomes front and centre, really changing the energy of the song and adding an interesting dynamic to it. As the song starts to come to a close during the last 40 seconds, the arrangement melts back into the softer, ballad-style sound that we hear at the beginning of the track. This is one of the heavier songs on the Ep, approaching the topic of not being able to manage grief and losing a loved one. The heart-breaking lyrics paint a picture for the listener on how the writer would do anything he could to keep his loved one alive because he knows that once they leave, the heartbreak and agony that comes along with it will not end.
‘Passerby’ is a raw and emotional track, with the recording being slightly rougher than the rest of the tracks on the album to really let the soul of it bleed through. The piano melody is nostalgic and comforting while still tugging on your heart and making you shed a tear. This haunting tune touches on the writer dreaming about the one that he loves every night and how he hates how that person slips away when the morning comes. He dreams of a day where the one he loves is no longer just a part of his dreams, but instead, the one he gets to wake up next to every morning.
‘Momentary’ is an emotional rollercoaster that is incredibly cathartic for listeners. With the mix of poignant lyrics and versatile instrumentation, Caldher has successfully created a world that listeners can get immersed in.
Discover more from Caldher
Discover more on Right Chord Music
- Next Wave. Five Essential New Indie Rock Bands
- Breakfast Cat Soar On Electro-Pop ‘Priestess’
- Joe Smooth Porcelain Celebrate 40 Years of House Music – Still Loving You
- Musicians. Check Your Spotify Popularity Index For Free
Words Fitz Riven
