At times I can find shoegaze a bit difficult to write about. It can feel like an impressionist painting. Focus too closely and you can lose the entirety of a scene, for its miasma of minute and intricately placed brush strokes. Hearing this album for the first time felt like standing in the middle of a Monet exhibit. At every glance, I could perfectly make out the scenes on display and follow the direction in which they were leading. Something that does not usually happen to me with artists in this genre. En sista räddning displays a varied array of what the broader shoegaze genre is capable of, all while capturing an impressive sense of raw energy. It is an album full of duende. But, before we dive into the album further, let’s get familiar with the band itself.
Kallsup is a six-piece hailing from Örebro, Sweden, delivering dreamy shoegaze while incorporating elements of post-punk and nu-gaze. Sidenote, I did not know nu-gaze was a genre before, but after some googling, it appears that some people refer to Deftones as an example of nu-gaze, so that might explain why immediately fucked with this project. Forming in 2022 through a contact ad on an internet forum, they describe it as “an ad-saga that led six young students from different places in central Sweden to become best friends in a rehearsal room.”
With everyone coming from different musical backgrounds, it took time for the band to hit their stride and find an identity, but exploding with this debut album is an impressive, concentrated feat. Kallsup refers to the album as “music about growing up, growing out, and dealing with the emotional cold sores that life constantly throws at you. It’s a lot of noise and music, but it’s also very, very vulnerable and delicate.” It does play with walls of sound and enveloping chambers of distortion and reverb, yet it has that sense of intimacy which makes rock music so earnestly passionate.
From its mix of bright bass and drums under waves of an eerie guitar riff, En Lögn, En Sanning, had me immediately intrigued. Evoking resemblances to some of my favourite bands in the post-punk spaces. Vocalist Eline Gustafsson enters with a cold determination, guiding me from patient verse to patient verse until the chorus sees her soaring melodies pair impressively with the band’s explosive performances.
There is something to be said about having a kick-ass opener and this is definitely one. It feels less typical shoegaze and more drenched anthem, where modulation and reverb provide an incredibly hypnotic place to linger. Providing the listener with a unique sense of depth. Not falling into a dream, but fighting through a nightmare, especially after the second chorus when dissonant notes carefully ring out in gargantuan reverb and the song dives into sinister resolution. A doom-metal conclusion, sparking comparisons to bands like King Woman, was not something I expected, but it feels so right. Evidently, this is something that Kallsup continues to do, reaching outside of the box in just the right way. These are clearly tried and tested songs as the band takes their time with them and most importantly they feel complete and well paced.
On the following track, we hear a cut with lead vocals from someone besides Gustafsson. Guitarist Carl Libert leads the band on a grunge-inspired song with infectious drums beneath his silken vocals until the chorus explodes with guitars I would liken to the behemoth calls of whales deep in the ocean. Between Libert and fellow guitarist Edwin Karolczak, their mesmerizing guitar work is a key focal point of the album. Ditt Paradis is the third track on the project and really shows off the guitars. It’s especially worth noting how they deftly manage their articulate riffs during choruses, weaving underneath each vocal line without clashing or cluttering Gustafsson’s anthemic lines.
Blâ is a more dreamy track that blends elements of J Mascis, and Cigarettes After Sex for a delightful blend of shoegaze you’d want to cry happy tears too. Once again demonstrated their talent for balancing delicacy with lots of noise. Becoming an exceptional example of the band’s sentiment for the album “The music is mostly dark but sometimes also hopeful and with little sparks of light.” Blâ is a spark of light and levity that gives the album a nice breather before some of its heavier displays.
Alias is easily the heaviest track on the album. Showcasing Kallsup moving at full force and in a way, I can’t quite explain, it feels like they are channelling a bit of Alice In Chains. Something about their raucous, unflinching performance on this track feels so very grunge to me, but in a specific way. When translated from Swedish, Gnistan means ‘The Spark’ which is quite fitting. Though not as weightless as Blâ, it does have a soothing quality to it. Rolling in at six minutes, it is a spectral lullaby led by Elise on top of a wave modulation and empowered by Joakim Jakobsson’s dynamic drum performance. This track is a true standout for me as the band displays their strong ability to keep the listener engaged as they pull you along from space to space.
Ending with what is my favourite track off the album, Stilla Havet is a truly cathartic experience coming in at 7 minutes. This is how you close an album, by signing off with a track that is only bolstered by hearing everything before it. Just when you think they’re winding down, they plow back in with one of their strongest offerings. Starting out with a Kings of Leon-style bass riff, the song expertly evolves into an incredible climax of Pink Maggit-level proportions. The band is firing on all cylinders at this point, sending chills down my spine. Explosive drums bombard the listener as guitars wail and vocals shriek all while William Ulff’s bass keeps the song steady as it has done the entirety of the album. I would have to say that the vocals and guitars are the album’s focal points, but the bass truly ties it all together.
I cannot wait to see a live version of Stilla Havet and I know I will be on the lookout for when to come to my area, but for the time being the band will tour Sweden and Germany during the spring. So if they are in your area, do yourself a favour and go check them out. All in all, I am excited to see where this new band goes from here, but I know I will be patiently waiting with this album’s ethereal soundscape constantly running in my head.
Written by Lando Flakes
