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By: Drew Beringer
Over the past few months, we’ve seen notable metalcore front men try their hand at quieter and gentler side projects, such as Keith Buckley and Josh Scogin, of Every Time I Die and The Chariot fame, respectively. But, if this is to become the new trend, we should give credit to City And Colour, the side project of Dallas (city) Green (colour, get it?), for spearheading such endeavors. Most famous for his work as the lead man in Canadian rock act Alexisonfire, Green is now making waves in the States with his solo work on his Vagrant-debut, folk-inspired Bring Me Your Love.
Already a star in Canada, his debut album, Sometimes, garnered a plethora of critical acclaim and awards from our northern brothers. While Sometimes wasn’t widely available in the U.S., it still made a modest splash with American fans. Now, with the backing of Vagrant, Bring Me Your Love is the first City And Colour album to be released on American soil and aims to be a big hit with many in the scene.
Produced by Dan Achen, Green incorporated more of a folk sound in the twelve tracks, using the occasional harmonica, banjo, and placing more drumming in this album than the last, on whose foundation was built around the acoustic guitar and piano.
Green starts off the album with “Forgive Me,” a short, vulnerable opener paced by the gentle plucks on the acoustic guitar. Green’s voice is a good as ever, beaming with honesty throughout. “Confession” carries a menacing tone throughout, with each strum of the guitar giving off a sound that reverberates through your body and your ears. “The Death Of Me” gives off a Wild West saloon type of sound, while the harmonica on “Body In A Box” pierces through you.
The Tragically Hip’s Gordon Downie lends his voice to “Sleeping Sickness,” which is beautifully carried by both men’s fine voices. “Waiting…,” the first single, is intricate, showing off a little piano while the cymbals clash to give the song personality. “The Girl”, which is nearly six minutes, is a sweet song that undergoes a complete tempo shift midway through. The closer, “As Much As I Ever Could,” begins with a beautiful harmony of “oooh’s” and transitions into naked guitar strums, and when carried by Green’s voice, the song takes you to a peaceful state of mind.
The reason it took me so long to write this review was because I felt such mixed emotions about it that I wouldn’t be able to write a fair and concise review. It had to sink in. Bring Me Your Love may come across as an unassuming record at first, but underneath is has great depth and perception. Lyrically, Green doesn’t write the most complex or philosophical lines, but what he does write are blunt, honest, and emotional words that are sure to cause some sort of reaction from the listener. This album is not a walk through memory lane while sitting on the front porch type of album, instead, Bring Me Your Love is an album that’ll evoke all kinds of different emotions in you. Bring Me Your Love brings even more than that, it brings out passion, honesty, and hard work. Kudos, Dallas Green, you have set the benchmark. - Absolutepunk.net
Discography
Bring Me Your Love - Dine Alone Records (2008)
Live - Dine Alone Records (2006)
Sometimes - Dine Alone Records (2005)
Death of Me EP - Self-Released (2004)
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Bio
Solo projects are inherently a risk. Traditionally, few members of any prominent band have seen success in this sort of undertaking, and even fewer have enjoyed both critical and commercial success. Add to this the bizarre notion of creating stripped-down music that doesnt even reference the original bands genre, and you certainly have less examples of success to point to.
Until a couple of years ago, Dallas Green was better known as the dulcet voice of Alexisonfire. The bands feverish live shows and rabid fanbase quickly earned them the distinction of being one of the most exciting and talked about bands in Canada.
During some time off between tours, Green assembled a collection of songs he had been writing over the years. He released a very limited pressing of the songs which he recorded using only acoustic guitar and his plaintive voice. Something in these tracks resonated with people in a completely unanticipated way. Not surprisingly, the songs found their way onto the Internet where fans started passing them around. With none of the obvious viral marketing that goes on now, there was a groundswell of interest in this unassuming collection of compositions. It was becoming clear that there was serious interest in what Dallas was creating. In 2005, Alexisonfires sophomore album went Platinum, the band won the Juno Award for New Group of the Year, and Green quietly debuted his full-length album titled Sometimes" under the solo moniker, City and Colour.
In a rare break between Alexisonfire outings that year, City and Colour undertook a cross-Canada tour, performing in intimate settings with only his guitar and a microphone. The same intimacy that Green offered in his songs was offered to fans across Canada, resulting in long line-ups for sold out shows. The fever soon spread across the Atlantic where City and Colour played a sold-out Barfly tour in the U.K. Exceeding everyones expectations, Sometimes achieved Platinum certification in 2006. Remaining sincere and affable, Green gave a heartfelt performance at the 2006 MuchMusic Video Awards, where City and Colour won the Peoples Choice Favourite Canadian Artist award. In 2007, Green performed live on the JUNOS, (Canadas Grammys), taking home the award for Alternative Album of The Year.
Released in March 2007, "City and Colour Live" brought fans front row and center to experience the memorable moments of his performances. The combo CD/DVD package featured 13 heart-wrenching live tracks including a unique performance on piano of Alexisonfires fan-favourite Happiness by the Kilowatt
Bring Me Your Love is City and Colours sophomore studio album. It evolves and adds layers to the sentiments in those vulnerable moments shared by Green on his original independent release. Co-produced by Dan Achen (Junkhouse) and recorded at Catherine North Studio in Hamilton, the first song Forgive Me opens with footsteps on a wood floor, the whirling of a nearby fan, and the rustling of Green picking up his acoustic guitar and sitting on a leather chair to perform on the former altar of this church-turned-studio. Every instrument used in the recording is pre-loved, vintage gear complementing the warmth and honesty of Greens compositions an intentional approach to capture the essence and intimacy of how records used to sound. Instruments and vocals were carefully recorded live off the floor, giving the songs depth and intimacy, and eschewing the cut-and-paste approach that is so common in todays recordings. The album feels like a throwback to the days when an albums thrills and beauty were found not just in exceptional songs and musicianship, but also in its blemishes and simplicity.
Bring Me Your Love delivers Greens signature delicate vocals accompanying another set of candid musings, which continue to articulate his engaging perspective on love and life. It rings with frames of beautiful melody surrounding meaty indie, folk-rock landscapes. Gordon Downie (The Tragically Hip) adds his distinctive vocals to Sleeping Sickness and appearances by friends and label mates Dan Romano and Spencer Burton (Attack in Black) are a reminder that these are an entirely new collection of songs, written during a very prolific year. Green continues to demonstrate his talents as a musician, singer and songwriter moving comfortably and seamlessly between City and Colour and his role anchoring a successful post-hardcore band. The dozen tracks on Bring Me Your Love are a beautiful insight into the quieter side of a legitimate artist.
For more on City and Colour:
www.cityandcolour.ca
www.myspace.com/dallasgreen
www.dinealonerecords.com
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