Over the past few years, we've seen a great deal of bands join in on this so-called post-grunge revival. One of those bands is Michigan and Ohio based Citizen. In 2013, Citizen released Youth, which was heavily influenced by earlier pop punk and hardcore material. This is not the case with their newest effort Everybody Is Going To Heaven, which shows the band finding their own niche. Citizen have made a major progression with this album, interweaving styles from heavy alternative rock to grunge. Think the early '90s meets the early '00s. Think Silverchair meets Brand New. This minor description is just a starting point. Everybody Is Going To Heaven is darker and dirtier than their previous work, but in an absolutely beautiful way.
The songwriting is at an all time high on this album (musically and lyrically). Their is a lot of grimy dissonance throughout the tracks, followed by spacious and atmospheric moments of clarity. This is most apparent in songs like "Stain" and "Ten". The album's songwriting takes a very unconventional approach which makes the driving moments harder hitting and the hooks stand out more so than ever. There is evidence of this is in "My Favorite Color" and "Numb Yourself". Mat Kerekes' vocals are even stronger and more diverse than on Youth. He ranges from eerie whispers to full fledged screaming, and the emotion felt in each song is pure, raw emotion. "Dive Into My Sun" and "Yellow Love" are more melodic tracks, while "Stain" and "My Favorite Color" are heavier and more in your face. The most positive sounding song on the record is "Ring Of Chain", which closes the album smoothly.
Citizen have constructed a monument with Everybody Is Going To Heaven. It is their best work to date, from the songwriting, to the lyrics, to the production. The group continues to get better with each release and this makes me excited to hear which direction they go in next.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z6I_qGkGQ0
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