Hear Caleb Calhoun's spoken word on "Motion and Matter," now on all digital streaming platforms
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| Stream Motion and Matter on all digital streaming platforms. Photo by Matthew Johnson Photography. |
Caleb Calhoun is a familiar face around here at the Birmingham Public Library (BPL).
You may know him from his blog posts, working at the Powderly Branch Library, or as a resident poet at the Bards & Brews poetry slam.
Now, you will definitely recognize Caleb on Blake Gallant’s latest album: Motion and Matter.
Blake Gallant, who studied Music Business and Audio Production at Middle Tennessee State University, was a member of the Nashville-based band Backup Planet and is the bassist for CBDB, a Tuscaloosa-based band.
CBDB is currently touring several locations that are a day trip from Birmingham and planned a larger tour through Colorado and the mid-west for the Spring.
While Backup Planet is currently not together, they spontaneously reunited on stage for the live debut of Motion and Matter on October 31, performing together for the first time in three years.
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| Focused on the moment. Photo by Matthew Johnson Photography. |
As the leading creative talent on Motion and Matter, Gallant composed all the music, provided vocals, and wrote the lyrics to track five, “Choppin’ Wood.”
On the creation of Motion and Matter, Gallant shared:
So often as artists we over-concern ourselves with how an audience will perceive a piece—fabricating a filter that we apply to our work. ‘Motion and Matter’ is a no holds barred concept that I created with intent to share the musics of my mind with no limitations and no hesitations.
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| Gallant finally got to feature a three-piece horn section on an album. Photo by Matthew James Photography. |
Adam McPhail and Ryan Connors from Dynamo, David Williford (leading the three-piece horn section), percussionist Jeff McSpadden, fellow Backup Planet band members, and Caleb Calhoun lend their artistic talents to the album, creating a unified sound with a kaleidoscopic vibrancy that mimics the album cover.
Almost every song on the album begins and ends with a new melody, seamlessly transitioning within itself.
Even though the album runs for 33 minutes, the three-piece horn section, array of instruments, and vocals cultivate a self-contained universe in those four minutes that seems like it stretches forever.
Gallant believes the people on the album are what makes each song so personal.
He first met Caleb when he was 17 and supported Caleb's poetry from day one. The same day Gallant committed to this album concept, Caleb shared a personal poem with him, and it felt like fate.
This is supposed to happen. This is the one way I can put a voice to this that will make sense to the rest of the album.
—Blake Gallant
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| Caleb's poetry comes to life on stage as he recites to a full crowd. Photo by Matthew Johnson Photography. |
Tracks four and six (“Tardigrade” and “Sixth”) feature Caleb's spoken word.
Hearing his voice lament on the culture and climate of the U.S.A. in “Tardigrade” reminds me of Beat poetry—specifically “A Supermarket in California.”
And in true Beat fashion, the poem accompanies the beat of the music up to the last minute where Caleb confides:
There are other worlds than these.
“Sixth” marks the end of Motion and Matter as poetry intersperse between the building music. The track moves into a grungier tone and masks Caleb’s poetry under a filter, leaving a hazy feeling behind that swells to a peak.
Finally, the listener breaks through the disorienting pull of the song and ends on a clear, bright note. Caleb’s reminder to breathe echoes in my head.
Gallant wanted to capture the feeling of the insurrection on January 6, 2021, in this song and feels confident the album lived up to his expectations.
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| October 31 was the only planned live performance—so far. Photo by Matthew James Photography. |
Motion and Matter debuted live this past Sunday, October 31, at EXIT/IN in Nashville, TN with CBDB headlining. Gallant said:
Three of the [live] performers didn’t record in studio and brought a different flavor to it...Seeing the way that Caleb captured people’s emotions for a second...it was cool to see the crowd go through the emotions with us.
You can listen to the album today on all digital streaming platforms, like Spotify, Amazon Music, or Apple Music.
Follow “Blake Gallant’s Motion and Matter” on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to see the release of the full-length videos of their studio recordings. You can reach Caleb Calhoun at caleb.calhoun@cobpl.org to hear more on his poetry.
Keep up with the BPL on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn for more updates like this.
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