“Somewhere Between Leaving” by Citizen Smith Is a Warm, Honest Journey Through Life, Love and Loss
You know these days it’s a bit difficult to sometimes differentiate between AI music and the organic ones. There have been Soo much improvement in the Ai sector, but one thing you can’t take away from the humanly crafted music is those little mistakes that makes the music even much better. So have you ever listened to an album today and thought, “Wow, this singer sounds like a literal robot”? It is so common now with all the auto-tune and studio trickery. Everyone wants everything to be absolutely perfect. But we have to thank our stars today as a four-piece band from Norwich, England, decided to do the exact opposite.
The band Citizen Smith just dropped a massive 13-track album called “Somewhere Between Leaving” and it’s a total breath of fresh air. What they did is, instead of spending months hiding behind computer screens fixing every tiny mistake, these four longtime friends decided to embrace total imperfection, and to me, it’s what we need, not taking a dig at the computer guys, but sometimes you need that gritty raw nature of songs. They recorded most of the album at Sickroom Studios in Norfolk, with a few tracks done right in their bassist Bob’s home studio. I love the fact that they actually kept things old-school, tracking songs live and recording all the vocals in single takes. What you hear is exactly what happened in the room, warts and all.
The band is heavily influenced by legendary acts like The Beatles, R.E.M., and the Velvet Underground. You can really hear that classic, unpretentious songwriting style all over this record. It is an album about the passing of time, dealing with love and loss, but what I love about the album is, it never turns into a total pity party. It feels happy, painful, and beautiful all at the same time. Life is indeed a journey and sometimes everything we experience is out of our choices even though nature has it own influences. The memories created, the losses and the wins, after it all we will be somewhere leaving it all behind!
Let’s talk about some of the standout tracks because this record covers a lot of ground. Welcoming listeners to a beautiful emotional opening is the track “Memories”. This is the opening statement for the whole album, and it sets the mood perfectly. Since the record is all about the passing of time, starting with a track called “Memories” makes total sense. It is a warm, melodic introduction that gives you an immediate taste of that classic Beatles and West Coast influence. It feels like opening an old photo album, then comes
“Superman.” This is one of the moments where the band proves they know exactly how to write a catchy pop-rock song. It has a great driving energy and a melodic hook that instantly sticks in your head. Then on “Avant Gardening“, first of all, great title. This track shows off the band’s slightly quirky, British sense of humor. While some parts of the album deal with heavy topics like loss and growing older, this song keeps things light and unpretentious. It has a great, steady rhythm that proves these guys have been playing together for years and know how to lock into a groove.
There’s this track “A Lovers’ Song” sitting right in the middle of the 13-track lineup, this one dives straight into the theme of romance. But since it’s Citizen Smith, it isn’t a fake, overly sweet pop song. It focuses on real, everyday love. The instrumentation is loose and instinctive, letting the natural chemistry of the four friends shine. Then you have “Summer Magazine.” This is a brilliant, feel-good track inspired by the classic theme of unattainable love. It has a wonderful sunny vibe that makes you want to drive down to the beach.
Fun fact: the lead singer, Paul, actually put a picture of his own wife on the front cover of the release, which is a really sweet, personal touch. Now after hitting some more reflective moments on the album, “Good Times” arrives to pick the energy back up. It has a bit of that upbeat, rolling groove that reminds you of classic 70s rock. It acts as a reminder that despite the losses life throws at you, the journey is still a celebration and there are always better days around the corner.
But life isn’t just a series of shiny pop tunes, and the band wanted the album to reflect that. That is where tracks like “Afterglow,” “Considered,” and “Wine Bottles” come in. These three songs were recorded at Bob’s house in just one single take. When you listen to “Afterglow,” you can literally hear the raw humanity in the room. There is no fake digital emotion pasted together here. “Considered” has an instinctive feel where the musicians are just playing what they feel in the moment. By the time you get to “Wine Bottles,” the unvarnished acoustic tones make it feel like the band is sitting right in your living room sharing a drink with you. It is melancholic but deeply comforting.
The album wraps up with “Gravity 26,” closing out a journey that feels incredibly alive because it breathes. Citizen Smith isn’t trying to pretend to be anything they aren’t. They are just four great friends making music for the people they love, and that honesty is exactly what makes this record stand out from the crowd. So tell you what, if you are tired of over-produced radio music and want something that feels genuinely human, you need to check this out. It’s the perfect soundtrack for a quiet evening or a long weekend road trip.
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