Mobile, AL’s Cittàgazze craft hazy alt-rock by marrying androgynous vocals with versatile guitar riffs which oscillate between clean and melodic bits to crushing and fuzzy chord-smashing. Elsewhere, their newest EP, seems to borrow heavily from midwest emo, shoegaze, and slowcore. But there’s a bit of a twang and sparkle at play here that ornaments these tracks with a modern touch. Think of Holy Fawn’s lighter works.

The drums appear to be programmed at times, and this definitely has its stronger and weaker moments (compare “Optimist” to “CTRL” for instance). Likewise, the raw nature of the recordings is a bit of a gamble as well at times. The first half of the EP covers strong ground, opening with one of the most well-rounded tracks. “Fool” takes a slightly different approach, opting for a bit more a melodic focus. Along with “Elsewhere”, these are perhaps the “cleanest” songs. “Perfect Comeback” is good in its own right, though it leans heavily into vocal dissonance that reminds me of Smashing Pumpkins or Radiohead. At their peak, the androgynous vocal tone starts to resemble the band Umbrellas, albeit with a very different background. Perhaps comparisons to Body Origami might be due as well. All this to say, there’s something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue (harmonically) present at this marriage of styles. Even the instrumental “Arbitrary” shows a bigger focus on keys and the band’s ability to fashion immersive soundscapes.

While the EP manages to show the group’s diverse songwriting capacities, it does feel a bit disjointed at times. “CTRL” in particular feels weaker than its compatriots, even though it does pick up in the second half. It’s noticeably different. And while philosophies around EPs differ, I tend to prefer a more cohesive effort. Now, shoegaze isn’t typically a very lyric-heavy genre in multiple senses, but even instrumentally, I’m left to wonder if this is a rock band, bedroom project, key-centered pop act, or post-rock group. Do I want a release that’s singular in sound? No. But the shifts between certain songs feels a bit more abrasive in the EP’s more concise format than it might on a longer release.

That said, for a new project only two releases deep, there’s definitely time for the band to firm up exactly where they’d like to go. The currently offering is definitely as good a place as any for new listeners to start. Cittàgazze certainly bring a unique approach to the Gulf Coast and I would never fault them for stepping out and taking musical risks. Here’s to whatever is next for this young project.

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