CITRA - Ocean

CITRA

​Ocean
self-released; 2016

3.6 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

Through Craigslist the four-piece band CITRA comprised of Brandon Arndt, Augie Menos, Daniel Naddy and Sean Slattery formed in late 2015 and have already managed to release a five-song EP entitled Ocean. The band plays hard-hitting rock not far off from bands like Kings of Leon and Foo Fighters. 

When it comes to the production and recording quality it is top notch. You can feel the energy bursting through the speakers and I think that it's undeniable to any one that hears it. Take for instance the opener “Settle Down” which is indicative of the type of energy you can expect throughout the EP.

“Settle Down” certainly is a catchy song. The vocalist sounds like David Grohl especially when he strains his voice. As the song progresses there isn’t too much that surprised me but the delivery is on point. The lyrics are broad and could be taken a number of ways. The vocalist sings, “Can’t get away, get away, get away like you did / Can’t break away, break away, break away like I did / I know that you won’t believe it, but every now and then I settle down.”

“Ocean” is another solid track. The verse is especially catchy and I felt I could hum along by the second time I heard it. Smashing Pumpkins-esque style guitar is introduced during the chorus. As a huge fan of Smashing Pumpkins I can’t complain. 

“Apologize” is a little more slick and dance worthy than the previous songs. I started tapping my foot along with the beat and bobbing my head. “Feelin' Alive” has a swinging rock vibe that didn’t feel too far off from their other songs while “In The Ground” is a fairly straightforward rock song. 

​Ocean doesn’t take my effort to enjoy. The songs are well written and powerful. This early in their development CITRA pulled off an impressive debut. I’m counting on their full-length to be even better.

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