Run For Cover Records are well known on the Tumblr-sphere for their catalogue of emo and pop punk revivalism, including acts such as Title Fight, Elvis Depressedly and Tigers Jaw among others. But, while Citizen’s 2013 album Youth mostly fell in line with the works of their label mates, Everybody Is Going To Heaven sports elements of shoegaze, hardcore and grunge, making it a much darker and brooding affair than you’d expect from the label’s roster.
Opener Cement sets the scene with a crunchy, down-tuned bass that would sound right at home on an early Swans record. Riff-centric Dive Into My Sun isa soft grunge track that maintains the driving bass, while Ten takes the heavier route, letting guitarist Nick Hamm go all out.
Everybody Is Going To Heaven is definitely a loud ride, but that doesn’t mean it lacks variety. Heaviside is a lush, melodic piece that could stand on its own as an instrumental, and the penultimate Yellow Love forgoes drums for reverb-soaked guitars and poetic lyrics. Energetic lead single Stain lets lead vocalist Mat Kerekes show off his range, which roams from screaming post hardcore verses to harmony-laden choruses.
With Everybody Is Going To Heaven, Citizen prove themselves as one of the most original bands to come out of the pop punk/ emo scene in recent times, and set themselves apart from it at the same time.
BY MICHAEL CLARK
