Callum Easter – Here or Nowhere
Callum Easter's much-anticipated debut album is the sound of an artist constantly reinventing himself
'Nothing lasts forever / Well, except the weather' begins Callum Easter, somehow coupling wryness with gravitas. His much-anticipated debut album Here or Nowhere is infused with a sense of profundity, although half of the time it’s hard to put your finger on where it comes from. His lyrics are at times almost prophetic ('It’s here or nowhere', 'I’ll never be this space and time'), at times achingly vulnerable ('This world’s getting ugly / Can I see you again?', 'I want love / But I need some help / Don’t want nobody else'), and constantly captivating.
Easter’s voice has a sort of Paolo-esque suavity to it, but it’s also ardently believable. Throughout the record he is constantly re-moulding himself, from upbeat tracks Fall In Love and Be There Always, to darker, more political moments in Plastic In Trees and Make a Move. His instrumentation is also in constant motion, drifting seamlessly between atmospheric synths, offbeat drones, and almost ethereal guitar lines. The album feels like a natural progression from his live shows, where he’s been known to perform only with accordion in hand.
Here or Nowhere is the kind of album that you want to actually listen to. It’s not a once-through, that was nice, leave-it-at-that kind of album. It’s a stick-around, play it again, keep it in the CD player kind of album. It’s the kind of album that makes you feel like you’re in a film and some really deep shit is going on but you’re not even really sure what it is. All you really know is that it’s fucking brilliant.
Listen to: Space In Time, Fall In Love, Back Beat