Rank: 4/5
Readout: If his new album is any indication, City and Colour may be the most relaxing, or depressing, band in today’s alternative rock arena.
If his new album is any indication, City and Colour may be the most relaxing, or depressing, band in today’s alternative rock arena.
What most casual listeners of the introspective rock crooner may not realize is City and Colour is one person, Dallas Green, and not a band.
Green offers his vocal talent on his new album, “If I Should Go Before You,” along with playing rhythm and acoustic guitar and piano. Listening to the amazing and authentic instrumentation and vocals on the album was refreshing for an alternative world filled with heavy producer influence.
The album’s first track, “Woman,” gives listeners a taste of what’s to come on the album. The track, coming in at a lengthy nine minutes, is simply haunting and possibly unexpected from an artist whose last album, “The Hurry and the Harm,” did not have a lot of lengthy tracks.
The album’s next song, “Northern Blues,” picks up the pace ever so slightly from the prolonged and winding “Woman.” The track’s composure and vocals are almost reminiscent of work from fellow alternative band Moon Taxi, though it lacks the roaring choruses.
If City and Colour, or its latest album had a mission statement, it would culminate into the situational and pleasantly unsettling “If I Should Go Before You.” An album’s title track can typically tell an album’s story better than any one track on the album. “If I Should Go,” the album’s title track, describes the album perfectly — depressing and brooding without losing its groove.
City and Colour’s last album, “The Hurry and the Harm,” had a distinct acoustic style. Green goes for a more eclectic and melodic sound on “If I Should Go Before You.”
Nothing describes City and Colour’s updated sound more than the tracks “Mizzy C” and “Wasted Love.”
“Mizzy C,” the album’s third track adds to an album opened up by two lower-tempo, less melodic tracks. The guitar used in the track sounds like it belongs on the Arctic Monkeys’ “AM.” In the chorus, Green sings “If I try to change direction, I might not find what I’m looking for,” but Green changing direction ends up being a blessing on the album.
Along with “Mizzy C,” “Wasted Love” is an enjoyable track and almost makes the singer sound happy, something listeners are not used to from Green.
Overall, City and Colour shows artistic growth on their new record, and they are successful with their new sound.