Citizen - Youth review

Released last month, this Citizen's first full-length album. For a band that consists of five 18/19 year old guys, I'd say that's not bad going! What's more impressive is their sound is somewhat unique right now and a trademark for them in their still very early career. I'm not sure about you but that's enough for many people to raise their heads and see what all the fuss is about.

What we find here is not necessarily a young band finding their first steps but more of an extended following of the sound they have already honed over the last couple of years through EP releases. The already well known "Citizen" sound of guitar fuzz and wah  has not gone away and with this production by Will Yip (Title Fight, Balance and Composure) it has never sounded better.

Opener Roam The Room has energy. It bursts and blooms into life just like those flowers there on the album cover (their drawings Seb, shut up). Drums are commanding throughout and the vocals of Mat Kerekes brings just as much of the energy by himself. Vocals turn quickly from a mournful drone to multi-layered yells of pure aggression.

The emotionally charged vocals ripple, caress and most importantly they captivate.

The lead single The Summer is in close contention for my favourite song on the record. It is simply a monstrous wall of fuzz, Nirvana-esque riffing and serious rolling drums. This song will be the one that will staple Citizen as rising stars at this moment in time. Vocals soar over the wall of sound beneath then in the next phrase return into the frenzy with Mat's strained, almost retching words "Why'd you wait/for the summer/to chew and spit me out?". It is a masterful demonstration of the bands individual style.

After the sluggish (what did you expect?) yet enthralling song Sleep and the thought provoking, heartfelt and at the end, brilliantly layered The Night I Drove Alone the rest of the songs no matter how much they try to latch onto you just sound the same. Monotonous I think would be the right word. Given, Your Head Got Misplaced has a wonderful groove and vocal phrases. Closer Drawn Out genuinely is drawn out and lacks that substance that had been so clear at the start of the record, albeit with a very beautiful chorus to top the album off

Until now Citizen had released an EP, Young States. That gave them enough space so that they weren't repetitive. However, we have to keep in mind their age and this is a debut. The potential is here for these guys to be up there, even in years to come to be mentioned alongside the likes of Brand New and Jimmy Eat World. A very solid debut that I would genuinely recommend. To no one in particular. Because it's easy just to press play and listen, right? Things are looking bright for Citizen and being only high school graduates we can expect many more years out of them yet. Good stuff.

8/10

Seb Wainwright
Twitter: @Get_WhatYouGive