Album Review: Citizen Cope’s ‘One Lovely Day’

One Lovely Day, Citizen Cope’s fifth studio album, showcases Clarence Greenwood’s soulful yet melancholic songwriting/production style. Being both the voice and instrumentalist behind Citizen Cope Greenwood continues to make music that combines expressive blues and with folk hip-hop influences.

The album begins with the title track, “One Lovely Day,” a moving confession driven by the minimalist stroking of Greenwood’s guitar.  Immediately, the listener gets a feel of Greenwood’s relaxed singing approach.

The pace picks up a bit with “Something to Believe In,” the next track on the album.  Already it’s evident that lyrical consistency is not a problem for Citizen Cope, as the first two tracks already display Greenwood’s emotional understanding of how hard-hitting his words are. His repetition of, “‘Cause the walls are falling down,” reveals his inner struggle to find something to believe in. Just an awesome song.

“Dancer From Brazil” and “Summertime” are tranquilly composed in such a way that lulls the listener into a hazy dream as the bluesy sounds careen off each other.  I love the way Greenwood has arranged the tracks in a manner that reveals his highs and lows of his open demeanor. I also noticed that chill songs are almost always followed by fast-paced, uplifting tracks.

“Southern Nights,” led by a relaxed piano and guitar strumming, is quintessential Citizen Cope in my opinion. He depicts a sunset in a small town through bluesy revelations about their beauty. This is definitely another one of my favorites.

Greenwood finds himself in a place of hopefulness even though despair is all around him. Also, I find it admirable how he has found a niche in the genre and yet has still managed to fly under the radar as far as becoming a household name.

I guarantee you’ve heard his music in movies and on television, but have had no clue who the man was behind the song. To me, One Lovely Day is optimism shining through layers of resentment and sorrow.  I highly recommend picking this album up, as it is the perfect representation of what we all go through— things we all think about.