Down to Earth Soulfulness From a Solid Citizen

Citizen Cope is most assuredly a sound for sore ears. His rhythm section saturates the air with the warmer temperatures of the aural color wheel. His is a vocal styling not lacking for earnestness. If you're searching for someone to keep you grounded in the face of what seems to be ever escalating weirdness then Cope's your wordsmith. "One Lovely Day" takes listeners through a wide assortment of loveliness with nary a note that disappoints. In the spirit of getting to dessert first I shower praise all over "Dancer From Brazil". It's a wonderful aphrodisiac that moves methodically as if it's very happy in the moment thank you and therefore isn't in a hurry to tackle the needful. Musical tributes to the opposite sex are a dime a dozen but with Citizen Cope lending extra grind to the bump and grind nice and easy it's a refreshing subject all over again. Close your eyes and try not to be fantasizing about peeling the layers of clothing off of your girl while you listen. On the opposite side of the pacing spectrum there's "DFW", the bittersweet tale of seeing that special someone fade out of sight as she boards a plane headed for Big D. Cope's jaunty way with the guitar underscores how tough it is dealing with the mercilessly precise timing of the airline industry as it clashes with the need for an unhurried bon voyage to she who makes your world spin just a little bit easier. Piano keys on steroids only reaffirm how the tension involved in this heartbreaking goodbye is touchable. Even at this eleventh hour there's no shortage of heart on the sleeve sentiment yet to be shared. The title track continues to keep the home fires burning bright. You'll knowingly nod your head in appreciation when you dig into this delicately beautiful acknowledgement of how you've struck gold when you find time and space to appreciate loved ones fully. There's a misty-eyed que sera sera at work yet it's kept in check by a cozy atmosphere of hopefulness. As you might expect from a song called "Something to Believe In", there's purpose in spades leading the charge. The drums beat fiercely as if to say "Try and keep me from what I put first". The beat isn't hyper-aggressive though. Just enough defiance to warn others of what awesome force is barreling around the bend. There's never reason to quit life so long as a certain someone values your continued participation.. Piano melodies seem headed for destruction but Cope's there to indicate all will be fine. Grandiose production values ramp up the attractiveness quotient. "Summertime" moves at a slow enough clip to summon up dog day afternoon visions. Though summer is the featured season, Cope makes reference to the other three. It's as if summer is the center of the wheel and, for now anyway, spring, fall, and winter all spin in its orbit. The finger snapping accompaniment puts the sign out on the door attesting to the fact that loose is the only mood allowed to prevail. "One Lovely Day" easily provides the tasty formula for what will surely be scores of lovely nights. Cope is in step with his priorities. That's great news for music lovers of all stripes.