Toledo, OH · alternative · emo · alt-rock

Citizen

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Grunge-weight emo that has quietly drifted toward something looser and poppier without losing the murk — Toledo's finest, still evolving album over album.

Citizen formed in the Toledo, Ohio area in 2009, built around vocalist Mat Kerekes and guitarist Nick Hamm. Their early records placed them among the wave of bands linked to the 2010s emo and pop-punk revival, pairing heavy, distorted guitar tones with melodies that leaned on Kerekes's strained, high-register delivery.

Over subsequent albums the group's writing has widened, taking in post-hardcore weight, cleaner indie-rock textures and more rhythmic, groove-driven arrangements while keeping the thick, murky guitar sound of the earlier work. Kerekes also records under his own name, and the band has remained a consistent live presence in the American alternative scene.

alternativeemoalt-rock