B-Side Guys

Manipulation follows formulas. On “How You Play,” Calico’s Gambit transforms emotional gaslighting into mathematical equation, charting predictable cycles of affection and abandonment with clinical precision disguised as blues catharsis.

Released April 24th, this “bluesy indie rock song about emotions getting played with” serves as showcase for Christopher Helmeste’s multifaceted talents as singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His approach to composition—described as “vintage indie blues pop/rock sound fused with poetic lyricism and detailed layering”—creates productive tension between traditional blues structures and contemporary production techniques.

The track’s mathematical precision begins with its title, which frames romantic manipulation not as accident but methodology—a “game” with established rules that one participant unwillingly learns through painful repetition. When Helmeste demands “How do you think I feel?” in the opening line, the question functions less as genuine inquiry and more as rhetorical accusation, suggesting that empathy never factored into his partner’s calculations.

This analytical approach to heartbreak distinguishes “How You Play” from standard romantic laments. Rather than drowning in self-pity, the narrator documents emotional algorithms with almost scientific detachment: “First you love me/Then you don’t/Then you say we’ll be together.” This three-step sequence—affection, withdrawal, false promise—forms the track’s structural and emotional backbone, with repetition serving both musical and thematic purposes.

Helmeste’s cited influences (The Black Keys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fleetwood Mac, Bob Dylan) manifest in complementary ways throughout the composition. From The Black Keys, he adopts minimalist blues architecture; from RHCP, rhythmic insistence; from Fleetwood Mac, melodic accessibility; and from Dylan, narrative clarity. Rather than attempting to reconcile these disparate influences, Calico’s Gambit harnesses their productive contradictions, creating cohesive sound from seemingly incompatible elements.

What elevates “How You Play” beyond genre exercise is its exploration of asymmetrical perception. The damning observation “You could do no wrong/In your eyes/I saw/That I/Could do no right” captures relationship inequity with remarkable economy, highlighting how different standards apply to different participants in dysfunctional dynamics. This insight elevates personal grievance to universal observation about power imbalances in intimate relationships.

The track’s ultimate realization—”Ain’t no light in the tunnel”—transforms hopeful cliché into bleak acknowledgment. By inverting the familiar phrase “light at the end of the tunnel,” Helmeste strips away comforting platitudes about temporary suffering leading to eventual reward. This linguistic subversion mirrors the emotional subversion described throughout the song, where affection functions as tactical maneuver rather than genuine expression.

Through “constant experimenting with the band’s sound,” Calico’s Gambit has created something that transcends simple genre classification—a composition that uses vintage musical frameworks to illuminate thoroughly modern forms of emotional gamesmanship.