In an interview with Impose Magazine,[1] Henry stated that he wanted the album to be less about the production, and geared more toward the feel of "a band playing in a room." This approach is evident from the more stripped-back and raw feel of the album compared to the polish and sophistication heard on his previous three albums. Civilians is less upbeat and more influenced toward jazz and folk, which have melancholy undertones.
The album received generally strong praise across the board, achieving an average score of 77 on Metacritic.[5] Thom Jurek of AllMusic praised the album for its straightforward sound, and that Civilians is "the evidence of what pop music can and should be, profound without being self conscious, elegant while wearing its seams in plain view, and full of speech both lyrically and musically that invites the listener in for a real conversation."[6] Dan Ouellette of Billboard was impressed with the anecdotal qualities of the album, especially on the track "Our Song".[7] Meanwhile, Joshua Klein of Pitchfork Media criticized the album for its sound, describing the tempo as "dour", and expressed some dissatisfaction for the album's social commentary on American life.[8]
Track listing
All songs written by Joe Henry, except where noted.