“Call On Karma” by The Exhales is a prime example of how to take influence from previous eras of rock music without sacrificing modernity, creativity, or relatability. With a devilishly unique vocalist and a heavy sound, this band carves out the perfect arc. The listener finds themselves pleasantly satisfied and genuinely moved.
“I don’t know what I did to make you feel this way,” the singer opens the track with a raspy timbre. A guitar toggles between notes, coupled with a sparse, swelling synth. Some distorted power chords and a tom-driven drum groove pour in, anticipating the coming chorus. The rhythm takes on a funky, march-like feel here. An instrumental build erupts, culminating in a pause ornamented only by a grungy, bent guitar note.
The chorus arrives with a swift snare hit. The melody skyrockets, employing a belted, idiosyncratic urgency from the singer. The rhythm emphasizes these dramatic divisions of the beat, which, in conjunction with the change in melody, solidifies this as the high point of the track. It’s an astronomical release.
A melodious guitar solo and a few more choruses follow, which all fizzle out as the instrumentation dwindles to a covered, distant guitar and vocal. You’re left feeling simultaneously like your favorite childhood genre of music is making a comeback, and like you’ve heard something completely fresh–but to sum it all up, it’s a fantastic song. Don’t miss out on The Exhales. “Call On Karma” will tap into a part of you that you haven’t accessed in a while.
Written by Alyce Lindberg
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