Citay – Dream Get Together
January 26th, 2010
Dead Oceans
Score: 5.7
Moderation is key. Citay’s latest commences with zestful opener ‘Careful With That Hat’, caught somewhere between blaring displays of 6-string proficiency and winsome indie-pop. It’s promising enough for an introductory track, albeit a tad cloying as it wears on. Then, the saccharine title track piles onto this aesthetic. And then the following ditty once more. The San Francisco outfit’s formula — acoustic guitars acting as the spine while the rest of the body alternates from brumous to angular — is a fairly distinct one and for that, credit is due. However, it doesn’t necessarily add up on the band’s third full-length. The jaunty tweeish side is weighed down by the ornate electric guitars whereas potential raw exuberance is stifled by that same token. In the end, it can feel as though we’ve been held in suspended animation, soaking up static rays for 40 some-odd minutes rather than hopping aboard a fluid, continuous ride. Moreover, Dream Get Together‘s modus operandi is so patent and unwavering that trying to keep up with the incessant sunbeams becomes exhausting, if not mildly irritating. ‘Mirror Kisses’ provides a welcome breezy reprieve, as the structure sways back and forth with minimal obstruction, buoyed by bewitching harmonies that stretch out to relish every inch of freedom while the leash remains loose. The ‘Tugboat’ cover also appears to be a choice cut for its first 3 minutes, allowing delightfully echoed vocals and modest strums the latitude necessary to absorb the original material (by Galaxie 500) and produce a fitting shimmery companion. Citay is evidently comprised of old dogs though, for rather than leading this suitably hazy bookend to a hushed close, the band throttles its foundation with rambunctious guitars yet again — effectively sullying the slice of pop genius Dean Wareham and Naomi Yang had composed 22 years earlier. This “wrong place, wrong time” refrain is a common one on Dream Get Together, rendering the affair all too uniform, and that’s the last shade one wishes to don on a sunny day.
Vinh Cao