Released on Gar Hole Records, Don’t Call Me Baby marks a stunning full-length debut from Sabine McCalla, a record as lived-in as it is luminous.
From the paint-streaked corners of New York’s creative underground to the after-hours hum of New Orleans’ locals-only clubs, McCalla channels a lifetime of influence into something unmistakably her own. Her sound drifts between backroom confession & back-porch jam – steeped in American roots but pulsing with the heartbeat of her Haitian heritage.
She weaves Brazilian samba, Southern soul, & doo-wop into a blend of rhythm & reflection. Each track moves like smoke – slow, whimsical, & full of feeling. Beneath every groove, her voice carries equal parts grace & grit, shifting from fierce independence to quiet heartbreak, then to the soft murmur of rediscovered love.
“This album holds a lot of songs about my disappointment with men,” McCalla admits. “And also how, maybe, I’m disappointed with loneliness. All those feelings of anger, transmuting them into something to give myself some self-love.”
New Orleans, her creative compass, seeps through every note – the thick air, the river’s soul, & the vibrant hum that ties the city together. McCalla gathered a circle of local collaborators including producer/guitarist Sam Doores, Ajai Combelic on guitar, Roy Brenc on bass, & a choir of voices from The Lostines & Sam Gelband. Their layered harmonies build a sense of communal warmth – music that holds you close & spins you around.
Don’t Call Me Baby reads like a love letter to resilience, self-truth, & the city that raised its sound from the soil. McCalla doesn’t ask for your attention, but she deserves it. After years supporting, touring & collaborating, this record finally lets her own light rise.
True to the meaning of her name, Sabine embodies strength & independence, channeling timeless earthiness & grace – a sound rooted in courage, creativity & an unshakable sense of self.
– @meanwhile_in_music
