It is my opinion that there will always be a place for emo in music. That could mean listening to all the pioneers or discovering the new ones. It’s always been harder for me to fall in love with newer emo bands after that “phase” in my life, but northern Ohio post-hardcore band Citizen has changed that perception for me. Their newest LP As You Please sheds the grunge and garage rock qualities of their early albums and gains polish that allows their music to feel deeper. The penultimate track, “You Are a Star,” exemplifies that polish the most. A soft intro with bongos, of all instruments, drops the listener into 90’s rock euphoria as an ultra heavy percussion sets the pace for lead singer Mat Kerekes’ melancholy chorus of “don’t let me down.” The guitar solo in this song is pretty great too, reminiscent of Vincent Accardi’s work on early Brand New albums. I love this entire album; it’s one of those releases you could listen to on a cloudy and cold fall day as you reminisce on some past hardships (or whatever).