Calling the Dogs is an album that opens looking inward and closes looking outward. It’s an album that considers the people we become as a result of the people that surround us. It marks a new era of the band not only in personnel, but also breathes new air thematically. It’s a record of self reflection, as well as one that exercises anger in a matter more direct than ever before.
Channeling artists like the Ramones, Violent Femmes and Bloc Party, Calling the Dogs feels like a new chapter for Citizen. Songs like opener “Headtrip” and lead single ‘If You’re Lonely” grip like signature Citizen songs inflused with a new energy and infectiousness by producer Rob Schnapf. Like their 2021 album Life In Your Glass World, there’s a clear influence of NYC garage rock revival on songs like “Hyper Trophy” and the groovy “Can’t Take It Slow.”
But Citizen is never lets a single mood stay for too long on Calling the Dogs - across the record there are moments of pop bliss, punk aggression and standard Citizen meloncholy. Drawing upon their personal experiences and collective musical prowess, Citizen has crafted a record that pushes boundaries and challenges the listener to explore their own emotional landscapes.
