City and Colour
There's nothing quite like baring your soul, is there? With only the protection of an acoustic guitar to act as a shield, Alexisonfire's own Dallas Green under the moniker of City and Colour exposes his heart for all to see and judge. The floodgates of emotion are opened fully as each poignantly moving track offers an inside view on Green. Either through bravery or sheer stupidity, Green invites us to dissect every ounce of feeling within him through his unequivocally honest musical ability.
Guys with guitars doing acoustic sets aren't exactly a rarity, just go to the nearest tube station and you'll be tripping over one every ten yards or so. City and Colour is different though. Honesty and integrity flow out of every line in each song whilst the fact that the only musical accompaniment is generally only a guitar fades into the background. 'Comin' Home' is easily the stand out track of the album. Shedding light on the longing felt living life on the road, the song reflects on all the places visited and the simple wish to be back home with the one you love. An unexpected twist at the end of the song however doesn't merely tug at your heart strings but instead shreds them. A wave of pessimism and desperation washes over you through the simple line of "just one question, will it be my heart or his?" as it exposes City and Colours anguish and loss of faith in love.
For me, 'Sam Malone' instantly awakened memories of the lead character in the TV show 'Cheers', or am I just showing my age and abysmal taste in TV? Well, if I am then City and Colour are right there with me. Cheekily there is a play on the lyrics for 'Cheers' theme tune changing them to "someplace I can go where no one knows my name". In a song that portrays resentment and bitterness it is a pleasant surprise to discover that a tongue in cheek out look can still be taken. This is what makes City and Colour so engaging. It's clear that Green has had a few personal demons to vanquish but his songs show stamina, he hasn't given up on life and is still willing to remain optimistic to a certain degree. True, 'Casey's Song' has a darker edge to it but earlier songs like 'Hello, I'm Delaware' and 'Save Your Scissors' are reasonably upbeat suggesting that Green is simply a regular guy who daringly allows strangers access to his hidden personal thoughts and feelings. Maybe this is simply a display of insanity but when such openness is coupled with pure musical ability it is hard not to be left in awe at City and Colour. Green knocks you sideways with his sincerity as he uses his songs like a confession box, letting us all witness his inner hopes and fears.