Kalijah, the 4 piece post-indie, sensuous rock band in Austin, Texas released their debut EP Mouth of the Cave complete with mouth watering melodies and lyrics that punch you awake. The namesake song of the album whisks your consciousness from where you last left it and you’re hearing words like:
“mouth of a cave was open up wide,
we climbed over teeth and we crawled deep inside,
crystal formations the size of a man,
a shining blue light on the red coral sand.”
The gruff vocals quickly endear you and the band’s full sound immerses you in the song, and then you’re the one in the mouth of the cave. Another notable song from the EP, “Man of Wealth” picks up the cave narrative and spurlunks deeper, reflecting on the complex nature of the human psyche. They sing, “I’m going to own myself. I’m a man of wealth,” in the face of a dark, daunting cave of subconsciousness; Plato would be impressed. What an empowering mantra of self-ownership and self-worth. Kalijah’s poetics amplify their already strong and cohesive sound.
Their spotify account reaches active listeners from, of course, good ole Texas all the way to our South American brothers and sisters in Brazil and Uruguay. Music so beautifully and indiscriminately brings people together from all backgrounds, and there’s no better time than now for music to build community and heal the world, right? Kalijah, thank you for bringing ears and hearts together through your sheer humanity and psychedelica-tinged resonance.
-Melissa Green