CITIZEN - CALLING THE DOGS
American rock band, Citizen have been making a significant mark on the scene since 2009 with their blend of alternative and post-hardcore influences. Vocalist Mat Kerekes’s strong and emotionally charged vocals help to make the songs relatable and memorable throughout their years as a band and into their newest album, Calling The Dogs.
‘Headtrip’ opens the album with poppy guitars and Kerekes’s vocals leading into the main verse. The song touches on feeling like none of the choices made are his own. It’s almost as if the decisions made are to please others instead of himself, while at the same time, saying the things he would like in life, and where he what direction he’d like his life to go.
Citizen released ‘If You’re Lonely’ on the anniversary of their critically acclaimed debut album, Youth. The song was released accompanied by the music video sharing the vintage feel to create somewhat of a homage to when the band first began, playing in garages. The video shows the neighborhood and the band causing ruckus by playing their music in the garage.
Bringing more of a rock sound, ‘Bad Company’ touches on recognizing someone isn’t what you want, and realizing they aren’t good for you. The aspects being talked about this person do seem to paint them as a narcissist, talking about hearing empty promises but no action being made to accompany those promises. The track then ends abruptly into a soft instrumental until the next track.
‘When I Let You Down’ starts with an energetic bass riff before the guitar is brought in to bring together a very upbeat track about the feeling of letting someone down, and how much it hurts knowing this. Using the lyrics “It makes me sick when I let you down” shows how much it affects Kerekes.
‘Options’ goes back to the pop feeling of some of the tracks we’ve heard before. The track seems to touch on being trapped in a situation where you’re often made out to be the second option, not sure if the other person is happy or not, and how easy it is to turn on them due to this.
Closing out the album, ‘Takes One to Know One’ is significantly shorter, but that doesn’t take away from the power of it. The track is very obviously a call out to Kerekes’s parents, talking about how it felt growing up and how his surroundings while in his younger years made him into who he is today and even showing appreciation for not growing into being the type of person they were in his earlier years.
In all, this album does a tremendous job at touching on the problems of growing up with narcissistic parents. As Kerekes explains, “I grew up around a narcissistic parent and absorbed a lot of that behavior over time, negatively affecting people close to me. ‘If You’re Lonely’ is about recognising that, growing from it, and becoming a reliable shoulder to lean on.” The album touches on the effects of growing up that way, and even on growing from it and becoming an individual rather than falling and becoming just as the generation before and breaking from the generational curse.
Niki Davidson
★★★★★