Album Review: City & Colour - The Hurry And The Harm

On Dallas Green's fourth record under his name-play moniker City And Colour, he well and truly distances himself from his hardcore past, The Hurry And The Harm looking forward with sound and substance. It still has those trademark 'glass half empty' lyrics such as the title track's opening verse “Everyone/Wants everything/No matter the cost/We're longing to live in a dream”, but overall the music here suggests confidence and pride, and with a crack band of session musicians roped in for the Nashville recording sessions, including Jack Lawrence (The Dead Weather) and Bo Koster (My Morning Jacket), it couldn't sound more exciting.

For all this assurance, though, there's still a journey taking place. Listening to the wistful air of Paradise and robust first single Thirst, it seems as though Green is continuing to discover his voice – trying to take it to places unknown. For fans to be a part of that growth through song is genuinely thrilling. And compared to 2011's Little Hell, the tattooed 32-year-old seems to allow a glow to radiate from this music, although the lyrical content might suggest emotions otherwise. The tracks on The Hurry And The Harm are full and brimming with instrumentation throughout. And even when the album sheds a few layers, during songs like Two Coins and Take Care, string accompaniments can still lie comfortably within the structures and electric guitar solos can stand tall without overpowering.

With The Hurry And The Harm, Green has truly found the flow, voice and soul of City And Colour. A stunning, well-rounded album that holds you close from the outset and never lets you go.