ALBUM REVIEW: Calling The Dogs – Citizen

It’s no surprise that CITIZEN have moved away from the teenage angst bottled in their debut record Youth in the ten years since its release. Still, a decade later, frontman Mat Kerekes is wrestling with a premium catalyst for said angst, his early years and upbringing, being the by-product of a narcissistic parent and learning how to process that as a fully fledged adult. Looking at the tougher times of your life, the ones that blur in your head uninvited, with clearer and wiser eyes is a task the CITIZEN excel at on their fifth studio album Calling The Dogs. 

Taking a more pop-centric approach on opening track Headtrip, the quintet present their new form clearly as they mull over indecisions, still they swiftly slip back into some alt-rock tendencies throughout Hyper Trophy. Bouncing into reflective indie rock anthem If You’re Lonely, which flies the flag for the record more than any other track, brings CITIZEN full circle from their formative years where instead of dumping emotion they process it in a more mindful way. It’s the one track on the album that emphasises the maturity of CITIZEN and one that will hit closer for fans that have grown with the band more than it will for newcomers. 

The multi-faceted five-piece from Ohio have been labelled as different genres and as soon as they’re pinned down as one they’re more than happy to change things up again. They’ve been shoegaze, post-hardcore, indie and more – enough to earn a badge in the scouts. However, one constant throughout Calling The Dogs is the undeniable catchiness supplied from start to finish, with each track offering a new brain invading hook. Needs offers something of a jangly take and reaches out to small and big dreams on the horizon, for example, while Dogs is packed with fervour, has a defiant swagger and juxtaposes itself against the tracks that lean on pop by embracing alt-rock. 

As a fifth album Calling The Dogs excels in keeping everybody happy; it doesn’t alienate any part of CITIZEN’s fan base by genre-hopping every couple of tracks and having its concerns and narrative hark back to a more nostalgic time where the emotions are synonymous with what you would find in a CITIZEN record ten years ago. A brilliant tie in which is loyal to their journey as a band over the last decade, it’s definitely an ode to living with your younger self whilst being an adult. 

Rating: 8/10

Calling The Dogs is set for release on October 6th via Run For Cover Records.

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