By Connor LaLone
Midwest rock and emo band Citizen (“Roam the Room”) is a group that has become renowned for their brief yet emotional songwriting technique and unique performance style. Lyrically, the band’s songs typically deal with incredibly strong emotions and intense subject matter, like intentionally crashing a car at high speed to “escape from all I know,” (“The Night I Drove Alone”) or suicide by other methods: “You spent so many days alone/so I’ll kill myself to make things fair” (“Sleep”).
Citizen has adopted a strange method of performing which has contributed to its cult following. While performing at a Vans Warped Tour in Darien Lake, NY, frontman Matt Kerekes wore an oversized plain white tee shirt, baggy athletic shorts, and work boots, a far cry from the typical all-black skintight clothing other artists of the genre typically wear. The group was also surprisingly stationary throughout the performance, partly a result of the nature of the songs played, but also due to the group’s style.
The band released a one-off single, “Bash Out,” on April 19, and it is a starkly different sound than what has come to be expected from Citizen. The typical emo themes defined by slow yet steady guitars and witty if slightly unenergetic vocal performances have been completely replaced by an upbeat and steady pop feel. The bass throughout is catchy and simple, and the guitars as well as Kerekes’ vocal performance are more reminiscent of Julian Casablancas of The Strokes (“Hard to Explain”) than of any previous Citizen release. This contrast is stark for those familiar with past releases, the most notable of which is breakout album “Youth,” released in 2013.
The track is not only musically lighter than what is traditionally expected from Citizen but is also lyrically less depressive. “Bash Out” deals with a subject matter that seems to be in complete contrast with the entirety of “Youth.” While Citizen’s past work is often rooted in heartbreak and depression over the loss of a relationship or romantic partner, in their latest single, the roles are reversed. In a strange way, the song has a very similar feel to “Genghis Khan” by Miike Snow (“Paddling Out,”) in which Andrew Wyatt states: “I don’t really want you girl/But you can’t be free/Cause I’m selfish, I’m obscene.” This line is incredibly similar to the sentiments of “Bash Out:” “I do not want you/I just want you to myself.”
It is ultimately disappointing that “Bash Out” is a standalone single and not part of a larger upcoming release, as the new tone Citizen has assumed is both refreshing and catchy. The song is decidedly the most alternative and pop-punk sound that the band has ever produced and in turn, is rather enjoyable to listen to in a relaxed setting, without putting the listener in a depressive state-of-mind like the group’s past work. Fans of the band and genre should enjoy “Bash Out” for what it is, especially if we don’t see it for a while from Citizen.
Image from Run For Cover Records via YouTube
