Citizens – Try Harder EP

Few bands better epitomise the continued health and energy coursing through the contemporary underground hardcore scene than Glaswegian trio Citizens. As music continues to be strangled by financial, technological and industry-based factors beyond the control of most musicians, the world has arguably never needed this genre's uncompromising sense of purpose more.

Confrontational from the outset, Try Harder is something of a gauntlet thrown down to similar bands struggling to persevere in today's musical climate. With it, Citizens have at last captured the sheer raw aggression of their live shows whilst incorporating the nimble, rhythmical inventiveness that keeps them sounding fresh. It's a succinct, unrelenting slice of DIY excellence. [Austin Tasseltine]