Calla play the Horseshoe Wednesday (November 2). Rating: NNN
Though they’re from New York, Calla’s sound is more Britpop than Brooklyn. But the band draws from so many influences that dropping names seems futile — or tedious at the very least. On Collisions, Calla sound like they’re constantly holding back they shape muted, chiming guitar and hushed voices into mid-tempo guitar pop and sinister slow burners that are always slightly restrained, with some of the eeriness of the Cure but none of their grandiosity. This is moody pop well suited to highway driving, train riding or the wee hours of a party. While not a huge knockout, it definitely deserves repeat listens.