Post Cro-Magnon Drift

With their sweeping, reverby pop/rock and unique-yet-strangely-familiar arrangements, The Citizens cherry-pick the very best from Jeff Buckley, U2, Big Star, even bits of The Waterboys, and re-assemble them into lovely mini-epics bursting with jangly guitars. An ambitious bunch, they're actually at their best when they stretch out on the longest of Are We There Yet's ten tracks. Though The 'Zens' tunes often bear the operatic hallmarks of Buckley and Bono's stuff (the swooning "Clementine" and bombastic title track, respectively), Mark Lesseraux's strong, crystal-clear vocals are most comparable to Ron Sexsmith getting his rock on, especially on the wide-open pop of "Blusher" and the plaintive "Deck Full of Jokers". The unpredictable song structures are fresh and innovative, too, twisting off in unexpected directions mere seconds before you can remember what they remind you of. - Splendid