REVIEW: Citizen - Halcyon Blues
- Lysandre Pons
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
After nearly two decades of refusing to be put in a box, CITIZEN brings forth a new chapter with Halcyon Blues. Announced alongside the towering lead single Highs and Lows, the album drops on August 7th via Run For Cover Records. Reflecting its spirit, the promotion rollout has so far been an intimate reachout from the band to their audience with surprise shows and a newly announced world tour. Rather than presenting a dramatic stylistic pivot, Halcyon Blues feels like a collection of experiences that the band has sown together since emerging from Toledo's emo and post-hardcore scene.
The record opens with Good Fortune which does not waste a single second in introductions. The audience is immediately thrown into motion as if chasing after a running train. The driving drums and urgent momentum carry the promise of a live show opening with a Britpop-rock shimmer. CITIZEN doesn’t build new foundations, they run on tracks, establishing the restless energy that carries through the album. I Can See You From Here shifts gears almost instantly. Wrapped in a dreamlike haze, the instrumentation feels as though it's drifting through fog while Mat Kerekes' voice cuts through with remarkable clarity. That contrast between obscured surroundings and direct emotion becomes one of the album's defining qualities.
The title track Halcyon Blues slows the pace some more without sacrificing intensity. It opens as a beautiful ballad, carrying feelings of longing and nostalgia while being unafraid to reinvent itself as it goes through a modern electronic bridge. Released as the album's third preview, the track explores the quiet dissolution of a relationship, reinforcing the recurring themes of change, distance, and acceptance. That experimentation continues on Is It In My Brain?, which starts with dissonant electronics that almost feel like an echo of the previous song. Its cinematic atmosphere reinforces the film soundtrack quality of the album while delivering a constant push between uncertainty and progression.
We reach an emotional peak with Always the Last One to Leave. The layered vocal harmonies create a new depth, blurring the line between our own echo and other people’s voices. The effect is beautifully disorienting, evoking those endless nights where time feels suspended and nothing is certain. As the harmonies gradually dissolve into distortion, the song seems to drift the listener into sleep. Either Way stands apart through its production. Rather than placing the strings in a supporting role, every instrument has an equal space within the mix. The result is one of the album's richest arrangements, where no single element dominates and every texture contributes equally to the emotional weight.
The album regains its edge with Matador. A pounding rhythm section launches the track before an unexpected scream completely changes its trajectory. It carries flashes of a NEW ORDER post-punk precision before the chorus erupts into garage rock and punk energy. It's one of the record's most unpredictable moments and a reminder that CITIZEN remains unwilling to stay in one stylistic lane. Ether and Smooth Talker are perhaps the album's least distinctive moments, sharing similar sonic territory. Both rely heavily on electronic textures and create atmospheres that occasionally seem to blend together within the larger scope. They match the overall feel while leaving the impression of being supporting pieces, not having the same lasting impression as the surrounding tracks.
Highs and Lows, the album's lead single, delivers another standout. Massive electronic production collides with a sharp and early 2000s garage rock guitar work, resulting in one of the album's biggest, most anthemic choruses. It perfectly encapsulates Halcyon Blues' wish to merge organic and synthetic sounds into something uniquely CITIZEN. The closing track, Anne, feels like watching the credits roll after a long journey. At times almost acoustic, it strips away much of the album's grandiosity while preserving its emotional resonance. Rather than ending with a dramatic climax, the band chooses reflection, allowing the record to quietly settle after its many emotional highs.
Throughout Halcyon Blues, CITIZEN embraces movement in every sense. The album unfolds like a summer road trip, constantly changing scenery while maintaining a clear destination. Every song offers a different perspective through post-punk grooves, shimmering electronics, garage rock aggression, or soaring ballades. Yet, none of these stylistic turns feel forced. Instead, they reinforce the album's central message: growth comes from exploration rather than conformity. The band proves that refusing to stand still can be the surest path toward finding your own voice.
Score: 7/10
Halcyon Blues will be released on 7th August 2026 via Run For Cover Records.
Words: Lysandre Pons
Photos: Atiba Jefferson
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