City and Colour’s album shifts to darker sound


True colours · Dallas Green, whose performing alias is City and Colour, releases his new album If I Should Go Before You Oct. 9. The singles released include “Woman,” “Wasted Love” and “Lover Come Back.” - Photo courtesy of Dustin Rabin

True colours · Dallas Green, whose performing alias is City and Colour, releases his new album If I Should Go Before You Oct. 9. The singles released include “Woman,” “Wasted Love” and “Lover Come Back.” – Photo courtesy of Dustin Rabin

City and Colour’s newest album, If I Should Go Before You, marks a departure from his signature folksy sound. Though the tracks will make listeners nostalgic for the cheerful, acoustic backdrops of “The Girl” and “Sleeping Sickness,”
singer-songwriter Dallas Green, under his alias of City and Colour, promises a refreshing new direction for his music.

Green hinted at this diversion from his earlier work in July. In a message on his website, Green said, “Over the last two years I’ve had the great pleasure of touring with an unbelievable group of musicians, who I can now safely call some of my best friends. If I Should Go Before You
is the record I made with those friends.” These influences contributed to the album’s 11 tracks.

If I Should Go Before You starts with “Woman,” a haunting piece reminiscent of Bon Iver’s drifty style in For Emma. With a heavier guitar accompaniment than prior City and Colour songs, “Woman” is an epic, nine-minute prelude to the rest of the album. The instrumental section has psychedelic rock influences, before transitioning into the lyrics, “Woman, my love is never ending / Like a sea without a shore / Woman, I’m a fool guilty of old crimes / But you are the one I adore.”

“Wasted Love,” the sixth track  and second single from the album, features Green’s solo songwriting skills without his band. The lyrics deviate from other tracks, underlining Green’s prior experiences with, “Careless love / Quit pouring honey in my ears / You’re speaking diamonds crystal clear / So far away I want you near.” These lyrics, along with echoing Southern rock bands such as White Denim and Delta Spirit, explain Green’s disillusionment, starkly contrasting “The Girl.”

The final single released from the album further underscores Green’s shift to darker tones. “Lover Come Back” spotlights lyrics, “I sing lover come back / Lover come back to me / Won’t you ever come back / Ever come back to me” that play alongside a downtrodden melody. It is clear in this song that Green provides a corollary to the optimism portrayed in 2008’s Bring Me Your Love.

Despite Green’s new style, fans of previous City and Colour albums should still look into If I Should Go Before You. “Map of the World” still provides a slight glimpse into Green’s former sound, and the acoustic guitar backs this song. The track, though still showcasing layered lyrics, focuses less on the band and more on Green’s rich, unique voice. The final track, “Blood,” achieves the same effect and the words show Green’s sense of belonging. Lyrics “The sound is just rising up / Mother birds feeding their young / Light of the brand new day / I think I’ve found a home in this place” denote the journey of the album.

If I Should Go Before You proves to fans that they should not be apprehensive of Green’s latest work. As demonstrated by Mumford and Sons earlier this year with Wilder Mind, musical artists redefining their sound is something that listeners should look forward to.

If I Should Go Before You will be released on Oct. 9.