Album Review: CityCop - 'Seasons'

CityCop are a curious band out of Ohio, signed to the rising indie label, Flannel Gurl. I was told about this band a few weeks ago, and have been waiting eagerly to do this review. The band combines acoustic folk with prominent hardcore influences. So indie it hurts. In a coule of years, Pitchfork are going to be kicking themselves they didn't find these guys first.

I gotta say, I'm not often overly impressed by a release. But this one had me hooked from the start. The album begins with Bluebird, an interpretation of the Bukowski poem of the same name. I wasn't quite sure what to think when I was told these guys mixed hardcore and acoustic, but guitarist Max Adams is a master of his craft, and an incredibly nuanced player. His talent shines through most of all at about the 2:30 mark of the third track, Summer, where he shows some great technical skill whilst still retaining musical sensibilities. The EP continues thereafter in a loose conceptual arc, naming each song consecutively after one of the four seasons, and changing the dynamics thusly. It's been done before, but what hasn't?
Oh, yeah. Acoustic hardcore. It's done well, for that matter. The EP has the impact of a good hardcore album, the lyrical content of a good indie folk album, and the best parts of both. To be honest, genre wise, it leans a little way towards old-school emo, but the guitar work sets it apart.

The EP is unique, engaging, and most of all, quality. I would not pass this up. If you're a fan of indie folk, hardcore, post-hardcore, emo ... it's more than worth your time to take a look.

This EP is a brilliant piece of work, and I put it on par with my other favourite recent releases. The production isn't perfect, but unlike in some albums, this only serves to add to the fervour of it. To be honest, all I can really fault it with is it's titling and track naming, which seems more than a little hackneyed. Mark my words, we'll see big things from these folks. Once they catch on, they'll be the next big thing in Indie.