As we now have our musical minds firmly adjusted into 2018, it is time for our brains to accumulate all of the magically astonishing vibes that ‘God Bless‘ contains. The sounds found on this album are a breath of fresh air, from a world where the oceans rise up and transform into trees, and the moon has its own free will and emotions…
‘God Bless‘ is the self-released eighth album by The Citradels, an “anti-psych industrial wimp rock” band from Melbourne, Australia. The band states the album is a “concept album of sorts [which] abstractly explores themes of influence, religion and morality through characters from a small town gradually falling out of touch with its surrounds.” Each of the five members of The Citradels sing lead on at least one song on the album, a prime example of the musical depth this band possesses. As far as the lyrics and songwriting go, this is their most unified project yet, with each member playing a mix of different instruments throughout the album.
The album itself is a concoction of dream pop, shoegaze, krautrock, and doo-wop, among others. It splendidly goes through all these styles with a breeze, stirring up ingredients in a recipe that is nothing short of delicious. The catchy sounds of “Roman Holiday” will leave you in a daze from the overwhelming musical euphoria it brings, with the compelling rhythmic punch and intriguing keyboards, combined with the lead singer’s gloriously infectious vocals, it makes this one worth keeping for the ages. Songs that are in a more subdued manner, such as “Holy Ghost” will sneak up on you and percolate through your ears, that church organ really accomplishes its mission of having the listener feel as if they are at a Sunday service. Elsewhere, the hypnotically superb “Milk and Honey” will have you living in dreamland, even if you are wide awake! The drumming displayed here is pure rhythmic bliss, and adds flavor to the guitarist’s swirling sounds of magnificence.
The Citradels certainly enjoy adding a touch of different styles to their sound, which is evident on title-track “God Bless.” After about a minute of alternating between fascinating poem-like lyrics and dreamy harmonious vocals, the song abruptly turns into an impressive Beach Boys-esque tune that might remind one of some of their 1963-1964 material. Stunning musicianship shines through on this album, as indicated on “Sunday Best”, with irresistible drumming, pulsating bass lines, and a harpsichord that brings the song together, fusing the track into a cyclone of musical reverence. The magnetic and mesmerizing “Pictures of Uncle Arthur” has alluring vocals that will lift up the spirits of even the most despondent of people. The track ends with some very impressive cello work by “Altar Boy“ G. Warren, which captures the mood of the track brilliantly.
“GRC”, a track full of fitting sound effects, contains otherworldly musical sounds which will leave you gliding through a solar system so far away, you will never want to come back down to Earth. It is such a tremendous tune, one that simply needs to be heard to believed. The album closes with “Dawn Chorus”, a spellbinding piece of musical delight, filled with superb lyrical imagery. The cello found throughout the second half of the album is perfectly placed here.
‘God Bless‘ is an album full of marvelous numbers that will surely have you coming back for more. This is a band that clearly knows what they are doing, one that repeatedly demonstrates that they are a force to be reckoned with. There are certain feelings that come about when listening to ‘God Bless‘, ones I wish I could hold onto forever.
You can purchase the album here
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