Relaxed vibe reigns on Citizen Cope's latest CD

Citizen Cope has never been an artist that has enjoyed much radio play or even a big push from his record companies, yet, he is in the enviable position of being an artist that can tour large clubs and theaters and, as his current tour attests, sell out multiple nights in cities like Boston and Philadelphia.

To Cope, a Memphis native whose real name is Clarence Greenwood, his ever-expanding popularity is largely the result of having created a sound that is uniquely his with a message that feels authentic and honest.

“You don’t want to try and make a record like somebody else makes it,” Cope said in a recent phone interview. “You just want to take the good stuff that you like or you enjoy as a listener, and if it works in your stuff, you want to [give] something from your own soul that’s original.”

While he isn’t a platinum-selling star, Cope has built a very respectable level of success despite going against the conventional wisdom that to achieve major popularity an artist should create a focused sound that fits a popular musical format.

His four records have brought together a varied range of influences that include pop, blues, hip-hop, laid-back rock, reggae and folk. This probably hasn’t done Cope any favors with radio, where he hasn’t fit the medium’s more narrowly defined formats. The eclecticism has probably even confused some potential fans.

But now, with his fourth CD, “The Rainwater LP,” in stores, Cope said he was able to bring the various strengths of his three previous albums all into play on the new CD. In some significant ways, though, “The Rainwater LP” is very much its own animal.

For one thing, it is arguably Cope’s most acoustic-centric album and also perhaps his most laid-back collection of songs. In fact, the relaxed vibe of the CD makes “The Rainwater LP” feel a bit undercooked upon initial listening. But subsequent plays reveal that there is actually a good deal of nuanced production and instrumentation within the CD’s pared-back sound.

And the restraint Cope shows in his sonic treatments allows the seemingly simple melodies of songs like “Keep Askin’” (with its striking descending piano line), “Off the Ground” (an especially melodic reggae-rooted track) and “Jericho” (a grooving electro-tinged tune) to really shine.

“The Rainwater LP” demonstrates that Cope’s songwriting and production skills continue to grow more developed as he goes further into what is now about a 15-year career.

Now he’s back on the road again. Cope should be able to do justice to the songs on the new CD as he tours with two keyboardists, a bassist and drummer. He’ll also play a decent selection of his earlier songs, he said.

“Everyone has their favorites, so I try to cover the array of what we’ve done over the years,” Cope said.

Concert preview