City and Colour
The Hurry and the Harm

I stumbled upon City and Colour aka Mr. Dallas Green a few years ago, thanks to “Sleeping Sickness”, a delicate and sticky track like the hyper-caloric and unnaturally colored jam you find at the supermarket. Since then, I have consistently followed the Canadian's solo evolution [Green was part of Alexisonfire until 2011, a noisy and forgettable post-hardcore/screamo band], drawn both by his undeniable melodic talent and by the very good indie pop/folk potential.

And in the end, both in “Bring Me Your Love” (2008) and in “Little Hell” (2011), the primarily acoustic and bedroom-like atmospheres, the sweet and loving melodies, and the perfectly tuned and clean vocals have always fully accomplished their purpose.

Then in 2013 “The Hurry And The Harm” hit the shelves, a record that, to get straight to the point, does not convince. City and Colour seems to have lost its sparkle, intimacy, and spontaneity, possibly due to a significant electrification of the sounds, a shift that, while it expanded the sonic landscape, also cluttered the project, stripping it of minimalism and privacy.

So, despite absolutely noteworthy production and collaborations, “The Hurry And The Harm” doesn’t hit the mark as I hoped; it doesn’t move, it doesn’t reach the soul. The only two successful tracks are “Ladies and Gentlemen” and “Death's Song”.

Truly too little for an album that seems a sort of exercise done with (too much) order and nice handwriting, but lacks worthwhile insights and thrills.

As listenable as it is forgettable.