Paal Nilssen-Love Circus, The Ex

"Calls!" is the third album by Paal Nilssen-Love Circus, following "Pairs of Three" (2022) and the live recording "Turn Thy Loose" (2025). Circus originally emerged from Large Unit as a side project but quickly grew into its own band. The group performs music composed by Paal, and in live performances the musicians are free to play any parts of any song at any time. On this studio recording they take a different approach: the songs were recorded separately and carefully produced. On the live album "Turn Thy Loose" the already powerful six-piece lineup was expanded with Terrie Hessels, Andy Moor and Arnold de Boer from the legendary Dutch punk band The Ex. Collaborating with The Ex is not new for Paal, who has taken part in several collaborations with them before, but the Circus lineup/sound offers a new combination that feels very fresh.

"Calls!" was recorded in both Amsterdam and Oslo and contains six compositions by Paal, as well as two unusual cover songs: "I Should Be So Lucky" by the British punk band Stretchheads and a song from Nazaré da Mata in Northeast Brazil, by Mestre Barachina. The band ventures into some slightly surreal and more conceptual areas, such as "Pussy Pussy Cha Cha", "Eg Såg" and not least "Slainté". What will really stand out for many listeners, however, is "Calls: Let they be free!" — a wild song that is both danceable and political — and often a highlight when the band performs live.