Album Review: Citizens! - Here We Are

It's been a while since I've heard the kind of polished, perfectly catchy pop that dominates Here We Are, the debut album from Citizens!.

In fact, the last time I felt as excited by an album that is this unashamedly trashy was for Franz Ferdinand's Tonight, which makes a lot of sense when you find out that Alex Kapranos of Franz produced Here We Are. Full of synth-hooks, big choruses and borderline silly lyrics, Here We Are is indie-pop at its best, with little ironic posing and just enough attitude.

The album drags the listener in from the opening notes of True Romance, which is the kind of song that gets stuck in your head for days. First single Reptile proves that the boys aren't afraid of getting dark though, and it's an eerie, creepy, addictive tune about cold hearts and scaly skin.

There isn't a single track on Here We Are that won't grab you, but other standouts include Caroline and Nobody's Fool, the latter of which is particularly impressive with a sultry tone and awesome falsetto vocals.

Here We Are's strength lies in its consistency – each track is incredibly well-produced, with an edginess that speaks of the band's musical style without becoming repetitive. Considering Citizens! are not bringing anything hugely unique to the table with Here We Are, the album does not feel tired or overdone at any point.

The ultimate seller though is frontman Tom Burke's androgynous vocals, which are in equal parts sexy and dark, luring in listeners with each sigh and wail.

Citizens! may not be doing anything groundbreaking with Here We Are, but they're certainly doing what they're doing incredibly well.

Zoya Patel