Album Review: City and Colour - 'The Love Still Held Me Near'
The Love Still Held Me Near is the highly anticipated new album from City and Colour. Still Records is City and Colour's own label and an imprint of Dine Alone Records, home to the likes of Amber Run, Lucius, Tokyo Police club and many more.
Following up his 2019 album A Pill For Loneliness which debuted at number 1 on the Canadian Billboard charts, his 4th consecutive chart topping album, this new offering could easily become his 5th. City and Colour is the moniker of singer-songwriter Dallas Green, with The Love Still Held Me Near marking his 7th studio album under this pseudonym. Green is also the lead singer of post-hardcore group Alexison Fire as well as You+Me, a joint venture with pop royalty Pink!.
Opening with the first single Meant To Be, with its warm guitars and goosebump-inducing vocals, we tackle the first poignant topic on the album, loss of a loved one and how that can effect your faith. Green explains ‘The Love Still Held Me Near was born out of unimaginable loss and the subsequent journey through grief and heartache that followed. It’s about digging deep down into yourself and attempting to unearth hope and light in the things that can comfort you through those times. For me that has always been recording writing and recording music, so that’s exactly what I did’.
Track 2 on the album Underground (also single two) is the standout track which has gained the most attention from fans out of the three singles released on the lead up the album, currently sitting second on his Spotify most popular behind his beloved single The Girl released back in 2008. With gorgeous counter melodies and a stripped back chorus that takes the air out of the room, Underground sets us up to buckle in for a mesmerising further 10 tracks.
The Love Still Held Me Near was produced by Dallas Green alongside band member and close friend Matt Kelly. Mixed by long-time collaborator, and three-time Grammy-winner Jacquire King (Kings of Leon, Norah Jones, Shania Twain andothers), the album features Green's voice louder than on previous albums, resting on top of a blend of acoustic andelectric instruments in a sweeping build, while feeling palpable and allowing us to hear fingers on strings and necks of guitars.
The twelve sonically expansive tracks explore tragedy and grief in Greens life since the loss of two close members of his personal circle. From stripped back keys and vocals on Things We Choose to Care about, to the howling vocals andgritty guitars on The Water is Coming, the album wades through the process of these struggles and how we get through them, to be able to (as so aptly named closing track is titled) Begin Again.
Green explains, "Something I've figured out after two decades of doing this is I’m invigorated working with new people and coming up with our own versions of the old songs. We had such a great time in the studio making this record, so even though it will be tough to live through the pain (of the songs) again, I can’t wait to finally be playing with everyone."City and Colour have announced a US tour, and until we get some UK dates, we can enjoy The Love Still Held Me Near on multiple Vinyl Formats including a UK exclusive ‘Gold inside Milky Clear Vinyl’ available from Banquet records.
Words by Tamara Grzegorzek
