A fast fusion of blaring guitar riffs welcomes the spritely Arkayla into the busy Manchester indie scene with their single Calling Time.
The quartet’s release is a firey track that drives at pace in just over two and a half minutes. The instant the vocals arrive the dancing lead guitar riffs are merged with melodic chords. The vocals have a taste of fuzz effects that mix well with the main guitar riff that is full of bite and angst.
Following on the chorus ‘I’ve Got To Go’ the guitars are the central orchestration of the Western-style confrontation the riffs and musical breaks give off.
Once the track reaches its climax it takes off the gas so cooly with a delicate ringing of notes and reference to the song title which can only put forward that something huge is waiting. As far as punchy short indie songs go, it’s certainly no Brianstorm.
Whilst the track has cool and edgy guitar breaks, it’s lacking in a beefier rhythm section on bass and drums behind it which feel lackluster in their delivery. Sure the snare hits are tight but it feels like half the instrumentation is groovy and melodic and the other is gritty and engaging.
It’s a balance that signifies the styles that Arkayla possesses and the potential to improve. However, the track is certainly engaging and will nicely mold into the group’s overall setlist, but as a stand-alone, it feels unfinished and full of endless optimistic potential.