Review Summary: And that moment, it was ours
For the better part of their existence, I always considered Citizen to be in the same second-tier of emo/post-hardcore acts that contained Sorority Noise, Colour Revolt, All Get Out, Sainthood Reps, and the like. Occasionally they’d execute at a higher level that would make me question that take; for example,
As You Please was excellent and surprisingly nuanced, and I’ll forever die on the hill that the grungier
Everybody is Going to Heaven was their best record despite its lukewarm reception. The rest of their works ranged from pleasant to unremarkable, eventually bottoming out with 2023’s
Calling the Dogs. For the first time in nearly a decade, though, Citizen have fully regained my interest.
Halcyon Blues is – if nothing groundbreaking – their most consistent front-to-end release, and a very solid return to form. Its riffs, drumming, and vocals all come off as incredibly polished and buttoned-up. It delivers one track after another with competent, tight, and incredibly focused songwriting that's brimming with infectious, explosive choruses. In short,
Halcyon Blues is the kind of adrenaline shot capable of reviving a band’s career.
It perhaps gets no livelier than ‘Matador’, which is without hesitation one of the most aggressive and interesting songs that Citizen have ever crafted. Entering on thumping percussion and a shrill scream, the track transforms into a moody, acoustically-driven track with wiry, feedback-laced guitars scoring the backdrop before evolving yet again – this time into a shouted diatribe setting up a drum-and-cymbal breakdown. The song is a representation of what Citizen can do when they’re firing on all cylinders creatively; so much of
Halcyon Blues is proficient and energetic, but nothing else hits quite like ‘Matador’. ‘Highs and Lows’ is probably the most memorable song from the album thanks to its absolutely unshakable refrain, while ‘Is It In My Brain’ thrives atop its deep bass groove and lustrous riffs. ‘Good Fortune’ is simply a percussive showcase, and the band delivers one of its very best ballad-turned-slow burners in the half-powerful, half-lush ‘Ether’. ‘Always the Last One to Leave’ has the kind of starlit atmosphere tailor-made for night drives, while ‘Either Way’ contains one of Citizen’s most shoutable verses amid its cavernous, echoing surroundings. Each song here possesses a unique calling card, and even if
Halcyon Blues is lean on megahits, it never fails to deliver a high-floor blend of emo/alt-rock/post-hardcore that’s sure to satisfy any fan – whether they’re diehards, or fence-sitters like me.
Citizen’s sixth full-length LP is by all measures one of the band’s very best efforts. It is essentially devoid of filler, while occasionally catching you off guard with wildcards like ‘Matador’. It’s not going to dethrone
As You Please (or in my case
Everybody is Going to Heaven), but it is a stark reminder of what this band is capable of when they put their best foot forward. If you always felt like Citizen was a good band with the potential to be great, then
Halcyon Blues will scratch that seemingly evasive itch. This is the sound of a band willfully ascending to a higher tier.
