I’ve been unfamiliar with Citizen, outside of some slight name recognition, but when I first heard their single “Jet”, I was immediately drawn to the almost mid-90s pop-punk sound of it all. It especially stands out in a time when alternative rock is increasingly leaning more towards that Imagine Dragons sound which is almost equal parts pop and hip-hop than actual rock. So it’s a refreshing change of pace than what’s currently dominating the scene, but it doesn’t sound ‘old’ in any measure.
“Come as you please, as you want
I’m needing something to fill in the void
Come as you please, just as you thought
I don’t remember you this black and white”
As You Please has a great ambience to it and thanks to some fantastic instrumentation the album really feels like it has real texture and layers to it. Which it needs because while it is a short offering, barely clocking in at a hour, things do start to feel a bit ‘samey’ as all the songs seem to operate in the same range blending one song into another without great variation.
Ultimately, As You Please isn’t anything spectacular or elevating, but it’s extremely solid soft alternative rock as the ’90s intended.
Have you heard As You Please? What’d you think about it? Do you think there was enough variation in the songs’ sound? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to leave your own ratings and reactions for the album.
