Toledo, OH rock powerhouse, Citizen, recently announced their highly anticipated new album, Halcyon Blues, and today they're back to share its moving title track.
Arriving August 7th via Run For Cover Records, "Halcyon Blues" is a dynamic, confident release that draws on nearly two decades of musical and personal growth to emphatically declare what their dedicated fans already know: Citizen are one of our great modern rock bands–and they’re at the absolute top of their game.
"Halcyon Blues" follows lead single "Highs and Lows" which drew immediate acclaim from fans and critics alike, including Stereogum (#1 best new songs of the week), Consequence (best new songs of the week), BrooklynVegan (favorite songs of the week), VICE (songs you need to hear), and more. Where "Highs and Lows" offered a big dose the bold alternative rock that Citizen excel at, "Halcyon Blues" leans into the more lush side of the band. It's a cut of emotive indie that gently unfolds from plaintive verses into an expansive chorus that showcases just how wide-reaching Citizen's songwriting has become.
Vocalist Mat Kerekes shed some light on the song's lyrics, saying "It’s about a silent disconnect between two people. You both know you’re no longer meant to be in each other’s lives but instead of accepting it, you sit in the space between and watch one another become strangers in real time."
Citizen have always been determined to follow their own path, taking creative risks and challenging expectations at every turn, and 17 years into an impressive career the band still feel like underdogs who have never quite fit in. Citizen's unlikely rise from a group of Toledo high schoolers to long-running headliners capable of selling out shows around the world, and they got there through persistent sonic evolution. Over the years they've moved deftly through raw emo, menacing post-hardcore, anthemic alternative, garage-y indie pop, and so much more, now "Halcyon Blues" combines elements from throughout their entire catalog together into a singular and instantly satisfying record that just sounds like Citizen.
Recorded by Kerekes then mixed by Tom Lorde-Alge (U2, Weezer, Blink182), "Halcyon Blues" taps into the urgency and ferocity of Citizen's early albums while embracing the epic scope and undeniable hooks of their more recent work. The group's determination and focus on pushing themselves musically has allowed them to grow steadily–and for their audience to grow with them. “A lot of bands try to do anything they can to be the hottest thing of the moment and we’ve just never operated like that,” says guitarist Nick Hamm. “We don't think in moments, or months, or record cycles. Some bands end up getting sick of whatever walls they exist in, but I see Citizen as this long term creative project where there’s always somewhere new to go, and that’s kept me exhilarated through all these years. And we’ve trusted that people who like our band will want to come along. A lot of people grew with us and we’re really thankful for that.”
Citizen also have a massive run of worldwide tour dates on the books in support of "Halcyon Blues". First the band will be hitting the road in North America with support from Anxious, Hotline TNT, Rocket, and Cryogeyser, followed by the UK and EU with Modern Color, then Australia with Drug Church. See full itinerary below.
Upcoming UK/EU Shows:
October 24th - London, UK @ Earth Hall ^
October 25th - Leeds, UK @ Stylus ^
October 27th - Glasgow, UK @ TV Studio ^
October 28th - Manchester, UK@ Academy 2 ^
October 29th - Bristol, UK @ The Prospect Building ^
October 31st - Hamburg, DE @ Gruenspan #
November 2nd - Berlin, DE @ Columbia Theater #
November 3rd - Cologne, DE @ Die Kantine #
November 4th - Haarlem, NL @ Patronaat #
^ w/ Modern Color, thistle.
# w/ Modern Color
"Halcyon Blues" tracklist:
1. Good Fortune
2. I Can See You From Here
3. Halcyon Blues
4. Is It In My Brain
5. Always The Last One to Leave
6. Either Way
7. Matador
8. Ether
9. Smooth Talker
10. Highs and Lows
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