Zach's Review
City and Color is the moniker of Dallas Green. From what I
know it was meant to be a side project from the popular hardcore band
Alexisonfire. But Green pulled a Chris Carraba and stuck with the side
project. My first exposure to City and
Colour was 2011's Little Hell, an album that I liked a lot but never completely
fell in love with. The album didn't lack variety. It's filled with Justin
Vernon-esque falsetto, acoustic guitar, and rock n'roll. There are songs on the
album I like a lot, but there are also songs I didn't care for. The album
seemed too busy.
The newest City and Colour and album, The Hurry and The
Harm, is a tighter better version of Little Hell. The consistency of the album
is what makes this album work, and (for the most part), Green sticks to what he
does best, heart breaking acoustic ballads. The title of the album comes from
its first track . The song (and theme of the record) is about how in today's
hurried society we tend to get worked up over the smallest things, like having
to wait in line or our wi-fi going out, and how there's harm in that.
Whether Green is singing about the dangers of following your
dreams to California ("The Golden State") or trying to figure out his
place in the world ("Of Space and Time") he does it in such a way
that keeps you around for the duration of the album. The Hurry and Harm is a
definite improvement over an already impressive catalog of albums. Dallas Green
has proven once again that his music is as relevant as ever.
Zach’s Rating: 8.2/10
Tori's Review
I've never really listened to City and Colour. You know how
sometimes there are bands you hear about and you already know you probably
won't care for them just by their name? City and Colour was that for me. And I
was right. I really don't care for them.
His voice isn't my favorite. Like, it's fine for the first
few songs but then I'm just over it. It's just toooo.... soft and pretty? I
know some people really like that. It's just not for me. He just has no edge.
There's nothing in his music that gets me. After a while it all just starts to
sound the same. At the start of some songs I think maybe I'll like it. Like
Thirst starts out kind of cool, something different from the rest at least and
at first, I don't think I'll mind Harder Than Stone but then they eventually
all seem to turn into the same song.
I don't hate the album. I just don't like it. I mean, I can
definitely see why others might enjoy listening to it. The album has some
really beautiful guitar parts. I just think the album could benefit from
pushing the limits a little more. I want to hear what else City and Colour can
do besides make everything soft and pretty. There are parts of the album that
show a little more diversity and that's good, but there's not enough. I think
this album is a good start for more exploration.
Tori’s Rating: 4/10
