Little Hell

For those of you who don’t already know, City and Colour is the side-project of post-hardcore outfit Alexisonfire’s guitarist/vocalist Dallas Green. It would be almost an understatement to say that (contrary to his own use of the saying in ‘Grand Optimist’) Green is a jack of all trades and a master of all them too. Moving from the aggressive, heavy and this-world-sucks stylings of Alexis, to the tender, folksy ballads of City and Colour, it would come as little surprise if Green turned his hand to a hip hop-jazz-metal fusion project. _Little Hell_ is the third instalment in a chain of wonderful full-lengths from Dallas Green.

‘We Found Each Other in the Dark’ picks up right where 2008’s _Bring Me Your Love left off_. The Canadian’s angelic vocals float over light brushes and tambourines, meanwhile subtle guitar swoons and harmonies lace a track that is characteristic of City and Colour. Much like its predecessor, also, _Little Hell_ offers numbers with an upbeat tone, but a sinister content. ‘Natural Disaster’ provides the best example of this, with chorus hook “Whether a natural disaster ripped it from its foundation//or an economic tragedy tore apart its family//They’re all empty” reminiscent of the catchy ‘Save Your Scissors’ and ‘Body In a Box’ of previous albums. Green writes intelligent lyrics and furnishes them with beautiful melodies, satisfying both the casual listener and the one that demands a little bit more substance for their cash.

Don’t let Green’s choice of first single, ‘Fragile Bird’, put you off. Much like the later ‘Weightless’, these songs present a more edgy and experimental City and Colour that, whilst respectable when taken on their individual merit, is not what most fans will want to hear. ‘Silver and Gold’, ‘O-Sister’ and title track ‘Little Hell’ are perfectly produced heart wrenching acoustic tunes, which may not present anything revolutionary from Green, but offer well crafted country-folk with an accessible modern spin – a trademark of the City and Colour sound.

City and Colour deploy a smorgasbord of instruments, from cello to organ and Green makes full use of his talented contributing musicians. ‘Northern Winds’ is the high point of Little Hell – romantic and dreamy, it compounds Green’s song writing gift and would pacify any Alexisonfire mosher with its lullaby.

‘Hope For Now’, much to the listeners disappointment, brings _Little Hell_ to an end. Not because it’s not a great track, but because it marks the end of a fantastic album. City and Colour has not strayed from the delicate and sublime sound that is synonymous with the name and one only hopes that _Little Hell_ isn’t the last we see of Mr. Green.