Photo by Tracy Nguyen

You have to appreciate the hustle of Citizen, a band who have broken out of post-hardcore’s mold and reformed the shape of their own sound by pulling in facets of shoegaze, big picture alternative, and Aughts indie rock weirdness in recent years – all while being relentlessly on tour. Truly, they’re the kind of band who grows with their audience, tightropes aggression and emo romance, and delivers sentiments of youth and the glimpses of the future. They continue doing so on “Call Me If You’re Lonely”, the leadoff single from midwestern rockers’ fifth studio effort, Calling the Dogs. When you’ve pushed yourself to the limit like they have, recalibrating yourself in the fundamentals leaves just as much of an impression, and stripping back to sprite guitar-pop hooks with a driving chorus is like witnessing the connection between vocalist Mat Kerekes’ emotional muscle to their steady heartbeat outside the body. Similarly, attending a Citizen show can easily make for every hardcore listener’s perfect date night, and here, they’re double down on the simple joy of good company.

Directed by: Rachel Rinehardt

Citizen’s Calling the Dogs will be released October 6th on Run for Cover Records.