Calla and Dios Malos

Over time, Calla‘s laconic drone, atmospheric noises and parched sonics have given way to a warmer, less scratchy, more traditionally structured sound. Favoring melody and songcraft means the band doesn’t channel the druggy haze of the Velvets’ “European Son” at half speed anymore. Though not as cinematic as its career-making 2001 album, Scavengers, Calla’s latest, Strength in Numbers, compensates with a creepy, jangling tone comparable to the Wedding Present covering Bauhaus. Similarly, tourmate Dios (Malos) has burned off the hazy, wake-and-bake psych-pop of its debut, revealing a sunny power-pop sound with a modest ’60s folk inflection.