Army of Me – Citizen

Doghouse Records have had a wide selection of successful artists come through their offices throughout their career; but for me, the label has always been hit and miss. For every CD I get from them that I really like, there’s another CD that I equally dislike. This year hasn’t been much different, but luckily Citizen from Army Of Me is one of the hit releases from the indie label.

Boasting a powerful spectrum of sound, Citizen is an emotional indie-rock album showcasing the trio’s pop-writing prowess. Taking a page out of Muse‘s book, Army Of Me‘s debut full length is full of atmospheric indie-rock sounds. Large and powerful, the band uses soaring guitars melded with Coldplay‘s piano style and perfectly polished vocals that float above it all and force the listener to soar to new heights.

Similarly to Muse, Army Of Me pulls from a wide variety of influences to create a sound that is hard to categorize. Normally soft and and melodic, the songs on Citizen could easily over take the top 40 radio list if they receive the right push. The vocals are strong and emotional, floating seamlessly above the soundscape, elongating and holding out certain sections to really grab the listener’s attention. There’s a few times where the band does lack a certain punch and becomes repetitive, but those few sections are overshadowed by the more powerful moments on tracks like 2 into 1, Going Through Changes and the opening track, Perfect.

Anyone who enjoys melodic rock bands like Muse and Coldplay will find that Army For Me is right up their alley. It’s the perfect album to pull out and play when your stressed out. Just close your eyes and like they say in the aforementioned 2 into 1, just lay back and fly into the sun.