Citizen - 'Highs and Lows’
Three years on from their last project, Ohio’s own alternative underdogs take another medley of influences and weld it into a transient and catchy electro-punk masterpiece to usher in their all-new album ‘Halcyon Blues’.
Citizen are a truly brilliant project that has often gone just under the radar when talking about bands in their genre and beyond, and they’ve come back to show yet again why this is a mistake. ‘Highs and Lows’ is the debut single of their new album, a project that sees them venture further and further from the norm while still keeping it tight and punchy. With the angsty feel of the last album, ‘Calling the Dogs’ settled and became a consistent part of the live set now, it’s awesome to see such a long-established band with a distinguished sound keep taking risks the way they have with this new album. Every project seems to be what they’re into, and the music flows so well because of it. While it’s distant from the original tracks of ’Youth’, the album that garnered their popularity, each new sound is individual, pulling from all different areas of music, making it both impossible to pin down the genre and impossible not to admire the tenacity of their songwriting decisions.
‘Highs and Lows’ is a bright and vibrant rock track with pragmatic and concise chord patterns that contrast with the wholly unpredictable drum patterns that accompany the song’s constantly changing paces. The addition of the electronic elements is stronger than ever on this album, and it works perfectly to build a deep, expansive atmosphere while still allowing the song to feel pop-esque and wildly catchy. This blend of unpredictability and thorough songwriting, with a Twenty One Pilots-style atmospheric alt-pop buildup, is genius and keeps the track both an easy listen and in-depth. It’s great to see Citizen keep taking these gambles with their songs and for them to continue to pay off so well, especially considering the scene they preside within is not usually one that reacts well to drastic change. That being said, the change in sound and the stylistic difference within ‘Highs and Lows’ still contain the soul and emphasis that make their projects so individual and identifiable.
Clocking in at nearly seventeen years as a band its great to see them keep smashing it with every new record and seeing how the songwriting and the people that write those songs develop as time marches on. Citizens' all-new album, ‘Halcyon Blues’, is set to be released on August 7th of this year via Run For Cover, a label the band have been long-time members of. As we wait patiently for more tracks to sink our teeth into, we can only hope that they stay as consistent as they are and that we get to see this LCD Soundsystem fan side of Citizen a little more often.
Words by Josh Pook
