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EDIT INFOCity And Colour - Little Hell
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Album Details
- Artist: City And Colour
- Album: Little Hell
- Label: Vagrant
- Year of Release: 2011
- ME Rating:
- Reviewed by: hstisgod on 2011-06-05
Media
RecommendWith only a few tracks of experience listening to City and Colour, I come into this review, fairly unattached to his two previous releases. That being said I'll be going back and giving them more of a chance based on Little Hell.
Throughout the CD, Green's voice rings with clarity and depth as he easily draws a comparison to the late and great Jeff Buckley. The vocal range and delivery on here is effortless but rhythmic. Lyrical storylines like that of "The Grand Optimist" have this album going straight into my personal playlist. Still one of my favorite tracks is the catchy, "Fragile Bird". A bit edgier than City and Colour usually offers, and what do you know, it suits them very well. This track alone warrants a stream effort and can fill the taste of most fans of Alternative and Pop Rock. Green's ever so polite style is evident and he's seemingly got more confidence as the years pass.
Another song that has a subtle sound but a smooth grit is track 13 "O' Sister". Not only is Green's voice nicely echo'ed and tweaked at certain pitches, but the little diddy's during the bridge diversify the song and its impression. Another track more weighted towards the electric guitar rock is "Weightless", thought not nearly as rounded as "Fragile Bird", this track has a wonderful recklessness. While the LP has about 70% varied instrumentation of acoustic melodies, there's enough of a taste of every style of Alternative Rock for everyone here. See the final track "Hope For Now" for a blending of C&C's different capable genre and sounds.
It's always been hard to hear his voice separated from the terrific notes he hits on AOF's releases. At the very least, regardless of my prior listening experience with City and Colour, these tracks uphold a complete unique persona for Green. A persona that I'm thoroughly enjoying
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on 2011-07-27 tosnob Said:
It doesn't take a lot of listening to figure out that Dallas Green is not a happy man. Considering the success he's had with Alexisonfire and as City and Colour it's hard to explain why. Things haven't changed much on his new City and Colour album Little Hell (out June 7th) either.
It's the same morose Green that we've come to expect. The lyrics are crammed full of vivid imagery. The vocals are delivered with heart-wrenching emotion. None of that should shock City and Colour fans.
One's left wishing that Green would take a few more chances with his sound. The minimal arrangements have really run their course. It's clear from tracks like "The Grand Optimist" and "O'Sister" that he's squeezed as much as he can squeeze out of the formula.
There are moments when Green offers up something outside of the box. The album opener, "We Found Each Other In the Dark", builds a weepy country vibe. "Weightless" has a clattering arrangement that seems inspired by Ragged Glory-era Neil Young. The lead single, "Fragile Bird", even has a groove that will get your toe tapping just a little bit. All of these are positive developments.
The biggest departure is provided by "Natural Disaster". The song is up tempo and upbeat in feel. Despite that, and the catchy little hook, the lyrics still make it a dark song. It's a juxtaposition that works magnificently, and is something City and Colour needs to do more of.
The song "Northern Wind" captures the feeling you get too often with City and Colour's music; it leaves you cold and unmoved.
Rating: 6/10
