Electric Citizen – Higher Time
Release Date: May 6, 2016
Label: RidingEasy Records
In 2014, Cincinnati based psych rockers Electric Citizen made quite an impact on the metal scene with their debut album Sateen and even had Alia O’Brien of Blood Ceremony singing their praises as one of her favorite bands. Electric Citizen is one of those bands that only took one listen to draw me in. The distinct voice of lead singer Laura Dolan is what really set them apart from the pack from the run of the mill Sabbath Worship bands.
While Sateen was a great debut for this young, up and coming band, it’s their latest album Higher Time where the band truly shines and shows what they are capable of doing. Musically, Electric Citizen has their own thing going on. With a sound that is a mix of 70’s psych rock and Detroit Motor City rock ala The MC5, Electric Citizen is doing something truly fresh and unique.
The two opening songs, “Evil” and “Social Phobia” and right off the bat show a significant growth in not just the playing but the songwriting in general. “Devil’s In The Passing Time” is the highlight of the album for me as I feel that this song really encapsulates everything I love about this band. Dolan’s vocals have really grown and matured since the debut album and you can tell that she is really pushing herself as she delivers her vocals with raw, dark emotion. I also loved hearing this re-recorded version of “Ghost of Me” featuring some haunting organ work this time around and some facemelting guitar work from Ross Dolan who, in my opinion, is a terribly underrated guitarist on the scene.
All in all, Higher Time is what I would call a fantastic success. It’s an album that shows growth and that has Electric Citizen stepping up their game to show what they can do. As I stated before, the Motor City attitude of the music mixed with 70’s psych rock is a perfect marriage and they pull it off so well. Higher Time is a rifftastic psych rock voyage full of well thought out songs, intriguing lyrics, and dirty, gritty, rock n’ roll swagger. If this is any indication of where they’re heading as a band, you can bet your ass that Electric Citizen is a huge player in the game.
For more on Electric Citizen, check out https://www.facebook.com/ElectricCitizen
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