Review Summary: Citizen releases a pop-punk album of the year contender. No, make that album of the year contender.
Citizen is a band local to my area (Toledo, OH). They've been around for about roughly 2 and a half years now, and formed from the break up of another local band, The Sound of Glory. TSOG brought 2 things from their demise. The Plot In You. And Citizen. I'll let you decide which is the better of the two. (Cough, it's Citizen, cough)
The EP dives right into it with "Untitled". If you've never listened to this band before, one of the first things you'll most likely notice is Mat Kerekes' voice. It's a type of singing I haven't heard in any other band. It's harsh and loud, but at the same time clean and well defined. "Untitled" is a great way to start the EP with the lyric "I'd like to think, that we move on and on and on to better things!" before what I can only describe as a slow bridge that works to great effect. I still get chills when I hear it. The title track is the next song on the EP. It sounds brighter than "Untitled" but still works to great affect. Another thing you'll notice is Citizen's knack for writing lyrics. Simple but really meaningful. This is one of the more simple songs but still leaves an impact. "I Still Shut My Eyes" starts off reminiscent of Balance and Composure. In fact the entire song sounds like something you'd hear from Balance and Composure. But that's not a bad thing. Mat's voice makes the song one of Citizen's own. This one is slower paced but still very good.
Now we're officially over the half way point of the EP. You would almost expect the quality to dip here but only better songs are to be found. "Detached" contains the lyrics "Been a long time, since I felt right. I'm counting down the days". As I mentioned earlier, simple lyrics but the way they're delivered has a big impact. The final song on the EP is "Right Through". This is the PERFECT way to close the album, with the best song in Citizen's catalog. "Though I think you should know everything, I'm keeping this one in for good, and that's the way it ought to be". The way these lyrics are delivered are fantastic. And the chant at the end only ends the song on a triumphant note.
Overall, Citizen is one of the best up and coming bands out there. Definitely get this EP if you're looking for any new pop punk music. Or any music at all. It's that good.
