With a sleepy drawl and acoustic guitar, Citizen Cope has found success in simplicity. His unabashedly emotional third disc veers away from past hip-hop influences and plunges deep into blues and folk. “Back Together” is easily the catchiest fare. The anthemic track finds a typically downtrodden Cope exuding positivity while admitting, “Things ain’t gone my way.” Most tunes crawl along with unpolished, scrappy vocals and Every Waking Moment trudges forward while Cope’s seemingly random observations fill the solemn jam. The likable “Brother Lee” finds Cope racing over quick guitar strums and the outrage-filled “Friendly Fire” seems like offspring from his past hit, “Bullet and a Target.” Cope croons on “Somehow,” “You got me movin’ in slow motion.” We all are, because this disc’s measured pacing is often painfully sluggish. Still, Cope’s impassioned tales can floor listeners’check the depressive two-minute stunner “Left for Dead” for evidence.

RELATED POSTS:

No related posts.