The Hurry and the Harm (Deluxe Version)

Melancholy never sounded so melodious. With his fourth studio album under the City and Colour moniker, former Alexisonfire frontman Dallas Green hits his musical stride. As the title track opens, he croons in a handsome falsetto over a beautiful contrast of low, crumbling guitar distortion and warm pedal-steel notes that melt off the strings like butter. His lyrical talents have been noticeably honed here as well. Green waxes confessional passages with witty wordplay throughout The Hurry and the Harm. In the folky follower, “Harder Than Stone,” he sings: ”Walking underneath the dead moonlight/Without any great concern/For what I’ve missed or how many bridges I’ve burned.” The standout “Of Space and Time” builds on a haunting waltz that unfolds into a big, beautiful panoramic melody. “Commentators” is an equally catchy and well-crafted song with big bouncy hooks and introspective lyrics, wherein Green admits that he’d rather sing sweet melodies than pose as a revolutionary. In addition to the acoustic versions of two album cuts, the deluxe version offers a bonus track, the nostalgically lovelorn “The Way It Used to Be.”