Concert Review: Calan Mai At Rockwood

New York City is the music capital of the world; with what feels like millions of artists journeying here to either begin or level up their career. Calan Mai joins their ranks, and opened up to Rockwood about his planned move to NYC from Australia. Yet, first, he created songs that sung to the randomness of this city.

What I love most about Calan’s tracks are his imagery. From meeting Robert Deniro to having a Katz sandwich at 6AM, the man is truly having New Yorker moments, which is what speaks to him. In every song, whether it be about his dysfunctional family or getting locked out of his Air BNB, Calan sung to the desire to feel grounded amongst life’s chaos.

Th crazy thing about life is that it can feel, simultaneously, busy and stuck. Lyrically, Calan embraces the moments when you feel like you have a lot of nothing; for however much you move and plan your life, it still does not feel “lived.” Thus, his heavy usage of natural images in his lyrics, such as mountains or soil, allows him to emanate that anxiety is a natural feeling. Therefore, every person has to aim for the supernatural: joy. You have to see wonder in your crazy family, city misadventures, and the sheer wonder of dreaming, despite your failures.

Vocally, Calan Mai feels as picturesque as his verses. He has the perfect, earthy tone for folk music, and added texture to his guitar-led melodies. He weaves his voice as if his guitar chords are a quilt in need of stitching. Seeing him alone, with his guitar, felt like the titular image of the young folk star on the rise. For More Information On Calan Mai Click Here.