On
Citay’s third album,
Dream Get Together, the group keep on doing what’s been working so far, with very few changes to their unique sound. Masterminds Ezra Feinberg and Tim Green have again concocted a guitar lover’s dream album. From the layered acoustic strumming that underpins everything to the harmony leads (that are borrowed from Green’s
Fucking Champs) and the moments of wild soloing that should have even the most hardheaded head-banger nodding in approval, there is an abundance of six-string prowess. As on previous albums, the group makes sure to add some pretty melodies, sweet female harmony vocals, and the occasional keyboard to the mix to keep it from becoming too much of a fret-fest. The songs, too, are varied in sound and feel, some are raging rockers like the opening "Careful with That Hat" (which concludes with an impressively fierce guitar solo), some are catchy almost-folk-rockers, and the title track is an epically meditative jam that builds to a maelstrom of guitar noise. They even throw in a suitably spaced-out cover of
Galaxie 500’s "Tugboat," and welcome a few guests (Merrill Garbus of
tUnE-YArDs sings on "Mirror Kisses," Joel Robinow of
Howlin' Rain contributes a synth solo on the most metallic song here, "Hunter"). Throughout, Feinberg continues to impress with his ability to create long, multi-part songs that sound both lazily stoned and meticulously crafted. They may not be what most people would consider classic songs with verses and choruses, but they have enough construction to keep them from drifting away. Green’s production, too, is an invaluable factor, he layers the guitars and vocals into a lush and hazy blanket of sound that is very easy to get lost in. Together they create a sound you won’t hear anywhere else.
Dream Get Together is the rare 2000s album that sounds better played end to end than it does broken down into pieces. A track might sound good in a random mix, sure, but taken together, the effect is somewhat magical. ~ Tim Sendra