Citizen – Halcyon Blues
Toledo group Citizen's sixth record signifies another significant brick in the road towards the band's mature sonic identity
Much like scene counterparts Turnover and Basement, Citizen budded in the haze of early 2010s emo and grew to ripen in the radiance of alternative rock. The raucousness of formative releases like Youth matured on 2017’s As You Please, blooming on 2021's Life In Your Glass World onwards, where huge hooks and electronic experimentation entered proceedings. Calling The Dogs stuck to that formula in solid, if perhaps unspectacular, fashion, and Halcyon Blues sits as a significant brick in the band's road towards a strengthened sonic identity.
Reflective of life's sudden changes and need for catharsis amongst the chaos, the record encapsulates its theme across 11 dynamic tracks that veer between Citizen’s two faces; blistering, self-assured energy with crunchy production (Good Fortune, Matador) contrasted with cutting, mellower moments (Halcyon Blues, Always the Last One to Leave, Anne), united in the common ground of ear-tickling refrains. Deeper into the album lie the strongest, most Citizen-sounding tracks like Ether, Smooth Talker and Highs and Lows that are bursting with Mat Kerekes’ signature vocal verve.
Emblematic of its reflective lyricism, Halcyon Blues feels conscious of what's come before and yet confident in its own existence, marking another confidently steady release for the Toledo group.
Listen to: Good Fortune, Smooth Talker, Highs and Lows