17 years into an impressive career, Citizen still feel like underdogs who have never quite fit in. The band’s persistent sonic evolution and refusal to make the same record twice has earned them a reputation as one of the most consistently captivating bands in modern rock music. But following your own path often means walking it alone, and their unlikely rise from a band of Toledo high schoolers to long-running headliners capable of selling out shows around the world has been hard-earned. It’s precisely this commitment to their craft that has led to their new album, Halcyon Blues. It’s a dynamic and confident culmination of all that’s come before, making it crystal clear that for all their sonic restlessness, Citizen have always known exactly who they are.
From the start, the band—vocalist Mat Kerekes, guitarist Nick Hamm, bassist Eric Hamm, along with newer members guitarist Mason Mercer and drummer Ben Russin—were steadfastly determined to follow their creativity wherever it led. Over the years they deftly moved through raw emo, menacing post-hardcore, anthemic alternative, garage-y indie pop, and so much more. Now Halcyon Blues brings elements from throughout their entire catalog together into a singular and instantly satisfying record that just sounds like Citizen.
In the band’s earlier years, their sonic shifts were seen as a bug rather than a feature. “We’ve never easily known where we belong,” explains Kerekes. “When we were coming up we’d try to get tours and people would ask verbatim, ‘What kind of band is this?’ We were the ugly ducklings for a long time, and maybe we still are, but I like that we figured out how to stand on our own.” And the band has also stood the test of time. While many of their contemporaries from the 2010s emo boom burned bright but quickly burned out, Citizen’s singular focus on pushing themselves musically 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 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.”
Where past Citizen albums have felt like direct responses to the preceding release, Halcyon Blues sounds like the group wrapping their arms around their entire catalog and carrying it forward. Recorded by Kerekes in his home studio in Toledo, then mixed by Tom Lorde-Alge (U2, Weezer, Blink-182), the record taps into the urgency and ferocity of Citizen’s early albums while embracing the epic scope and undeniable hooks of their more recent work.
“I think the band is always in conversation with itself,” explains Hamm. “Early on we tried to set it up so that Citizen could be whatever we want it to be, so we’ve always been ready and willing for the music to change as we change as people. But at the end of the day we are still the same people making music together—the same people that made Youth and all the rest.”
Being those people hasn’t always been easy, for Kerekes in particular, and Halcyon Blues finds him simultaneously reckoning with personal upheaval while finding a sense of security within the band for the first time.
“When you’re doing what you always dreamed of doing, you really don’t understand why it’s not always fulfilling,” he explains. “There’s been times where I’ve thought about leaving the band, but the Youth anniversary shows were a real game changer for me. I would walk out on stage and see faces I recognized—people who’ve been coming to Citizen shows for a decade. It made me realize this is the coolest thing ever. Why wouldn’t I be stoked? From that moment on I’ve been all in. This is who I am and this is what I do.”
Kerekes’ self-assuredness contrasts the uncertainty that permeates Halcyon Blues’ lyrics. “It’s about unexpected change,” he says. “You think you know everything, and then suddenly you don’t. Everything’s different—for better and for worse.”
As the cinematic “Anne” closes out Halcyon Blues, it’s clear that Citizen have truly arrived. “We never had that red-hot rocket ship moment,” says Hamm, “but we always believed if we kept going, things would come together. Maybe we’ve finally reached that point.”
This is the sound of nearly two decades of growth—Citizen at the top of their game.
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