Photo by Hayley Rippy

Up until 2021’s Life In Your Glass World, Citizen were on a solid run of albums that heard them maxing out on what their post-hardcore-amalgamizing sound could be. And then came 2023’s Calling the Dogs — a necessary step back for the Midwestern rockers toward realignment, and taking on a disciplined practice in doing as much with less while touching ass to grass with their hardcore punk roots.

Fast forward to “Highs and Lows” — the lead single from their forthcoming sixth studio album, Halcyon Blues — and that decisions is serving them well. A richly-detailed burner made from a shellacked sizzle of guitars, compressed drums, and a fully-amped shout-along anthem, the listen threads together all eras without losing any of that heavy-lifting aggression and emotive passion that’s made many a scene couples’ date night soundtrack. “So just give it to me straight / Are you coming clean right now?,” asks vocalist Mat Kerekes. It certainly feels like he and the dudes are being more real than they’ve ever been with us…

Directed by: Josh Pfaff

Citizen’s Halcyon Blues will be released August 7th on Run for Cover Records.