With wavering guitars and swooning vocals, What Could I Do is the tender new single from Callen.

Alt-popper Callen is not one to shy away from penning down his thoughts and feelings – in his own words, “I make aggressively honest songs.” Yet that’s the only aggressive part of his music, as he charms with a sound of soft guitars and whispery melodies that float around you. Infused with pop-inspired beats and a sparkling upbeatness, the light sound provides no hint at the more heartfelt subject, yet this discrepancy just makes his music all the more intriguing to listen to as you try and trace the true narrative line.

With his latest single What Could I Do, he hooks you in with a chorus that’s clearly designed for singalongs, and it’s a track you can imagine humming along to at a campfire with your friends. There’s almost a slightly doe-eyed innocence in the tranquil melody, which charms in its simplicity, and you’ll feel your heart getting strung along with every alternating beat. The lightly pattering rhythms add onto the gentleness of the track, and provides it with just enough traction to keep it in motion without ever feeling too forceful.

Sharing more about the track, Callen explains:

‘What Could I Do’ is a reflection of my youth. A good part of it is about wishing I didn’t take life so seriously growing up. Another part of it is a reflection on my letting go of previous relationships without really understanding any sort of closure. Together, those two reflections lead me to the chorus which is dealing with the anxiety that comes with retrospect and heartache aka shit that’s out of my control.