Review Summary: The rebellious teenagers have grown into rebellious adults who still know how to make wonderfully bizarre music.
The Pop Group is a post-punk group that was formed in the late 70s in Bristol, England. Seen as one of the major players in the post-punk era, they released two albums before disbanding in 1981. Citizen Zombie is their comeback album after a 35 year dead period. The art of the comeback album is a difficult one. We've seen a great deal of this over the years, and for many of them, we simply wish the artist had stayed in retirement. However, in The Pop Group's case, they have stormed back on the scene with a strangely satisfying take on the style they once helped pioneer.
While this may sound cliché, it is certainly true; this album, this group, and this whole genre even, is not for everyone. Post-punk is incredibly experimental, utilizing bits and pieces of many genres such as krautrock, dub, disco, and glam rock and then fusing it with the edgy and angry punk sound. The Pop Group has taken many such elements together to create this Frankenstein monster of an album that is altogether rather weird, but also euphoric and rapturous.
The disjointed, dissonant instrumentation is supported by the eerie vocal effort of Mark Stewart. His voice is somewhat jarring, alarming even for people who may not be used to their music, but at the same time I find it to be oddly blissful. Stewart sounds similar to what he did back in their early days, but here he sounds less angry and more dismayed. At the same time he uses the atmosphere around him to shroud himself within a façade of joy. What I mean by this is that many songs are seemingly uplifting with their use of bizarre upbeat dance grooves and pop influence, but are actually quite the opposite due to the subject matter and Stewart's unnerving voice.
The aforementioned dance grooves come into play on songs such as "s.o.p.h.i.a." and "Mad Truth", and while they feel different than a typical Pop Group track, they ended up being among my favorites on the album. Throughout the record are consistent drum lines mixed in with keyboard, guitar, and even piano. The closing track, "Echelon", is a full on piano ballad that is dreamy and pleasant, but also quite dreary due to Stewart's vocals. Many of the songs could be mistaken for indie pop/rock, but as soon as Stewart appears it takes an entirely different form, turning into the freakish sound that The Pop Group is known for.
The concern with many comeback albums is whether or not a band has exhausted their sound, or overstayed their welcome so to speak. With Citizen Zombie, The Pop Group have instead refined their sound into a more mature version of their early work. The production is cleaner and the music in general is not as rough around the edges. I find that it is a much more accessible album than Y, but better than? Probably not. Regardless, I feel that Citizen Zombie is a fantastic album and a tremendous comeback effort.
Favorite track - s.o.p.h.i.a.
Least favorite track - The Immaculate Deception
