Denver rock band CITRA is catapulting into the new year with their new single, Inside My Head. The band’s local reputation as a gritty, high-energy crew with an irrefutable radio sound is furthered by this track, but what makes it stick out is its honest, self-assured message. As individuals and as a band, “the now” is a time characterized by change, growth, and loss, and this single serves as a declaration to look forward amidst it all.
The track starts with a bold culmination of cannon-fire snare drum blasts and a fanfare of guitars before falling into a soothing blend of upbeat instrumentation and candid vocals. Lead singer Bran Arndt opens the song with the lyrics, “We are living in the now… struggling to get past the why, and find out how…” setting the tone for the rest of the song and the journey that CITRA and many others will embark on in the new year.
The chorus strikes the listener as the drums gain speed, and the guitar rhythms add a bounciness to the track that pulls listeners through it as Arndt sings, “Welcome to the past, it’s dead!” The ironic reality of the phrase is a staple of the song’s theme, mirroring the difference between what we want to tell ourselves and what we need to tell ourselves amidst change.
The genius of CITRA and collaborator Tyler Imbrogno, a long-time Denver producer and engineer, shines in the chorus, with an array of musical voices: eager drum patterns, an excited guitar melody, and a steady bass rhythm, all coinciding to form a pure, polished track. Both the song and the singer deliver an impressive range of emotion and energy, pulling the listener in and out of introspection and immersion into the music.
Spatial vocals and a strong crescendo drive the music toward an unexpected explosion following the first chorus. A choir of guitars and voices makes the second chorus and finale to the song feel like all the previous musical moments of the track are artfully happening at once.
At its minimal lows and its dense highs, Inside My Head is a declaration of doing what is best for oneself: healing old wounds, living in the now, and leaving the past alone. As a promising first single in a collection of fresh tracks to come in 2024 from CITRA, Inside My Head achieved everything it set out to. Inside My Head is available for streaming now on all platforms!
