“Color/Sweat” – Calliope Musicals
7.2/10 | Art Pop
I always find that there is an important distinction between Pop Music and Pop Music. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of most of the popular music you can find on commercial radio as it frequently feels like a manufactured candy, crafted to check as many boxes as possible. However, there are plenty of artists who make masterpieces that can only be described as pop, even though they may never see the top of the charts. One such group is Calliope Musicals, who just released their sophomore album, Color/Sweat.
Hailing from Austin, Texas, Calliope Musicals claims to give off “feel-good vibes that aim to swallow listeners and spit them out as happier versions of their former selves.” They do so through a blend of unique instrumentation, shimmering production, and strong lead vocals. Every song feels like its a bright show on display for the world, whether heard or not. Unsurprisingly, the band is known for their vibrant live show featuring inflatable animals, spacey visuals, and strong focus on crowd involvement. There are occasionally exceptional live artists that fail to translate their potent energy into the studio. However, if anything Color/Sweat has the opposite problem.
“Fear This Body” starts the album off with a whisper before bursting forth in all its glitz and glamour. Written as a reminder that humans are incredible and that we shouldn’t see our bodies as enemies, the opening track does a great job of setting the tone for the rest of the album. Calliope’s technicolor dream is one of empowerment through splendor, and on their own, each track conveys this brilliantly. Unfortunately, Color/Sweat has so much unrelenting energy that it quickly starts to overheat. “Up to Eleven” sounds like prime ABBA meets Bent Knee and is easily my favorite song on the album. After it ends though, I usually grow tired of the blitz. The five minute “Cosmic Poison Arrow” that follows shortly after almost always pushes me to being done with the album.
This is not to say that the back half of the Color/Sweat is bad, it just doesn’t stand out nearly as well as the exceptional first half. Listening to the entire thing requires a strong sweet tooth (ear?). The album cover is certainly fitting in this regard, though. While nothing can perfectly describe Calliope Musicals, a sugary cat covered in candy colors wielding a lollipop and wearing a moon hat actually comes fairly close.
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