Note: I tried my best to keep my fanboy-ism to a minimal :)
Motion City Soundtrack is...
Justin Pierre- Vox/Guitar
Joshua Cain- Guitar/Vox
Matt Taylor- Bass/Vox
Jesse Johnson- Moog/Keyboard
Tony Thaxton- Drums/Vox
Motion City Soundtrack began as a project between Justin Pierre and Joshua Cain. When they recruited Matt, Tony, and Jesse, they were signed by Epitaph records, and recorded
I Am The Movie. The entire CD was basically songs Justin and Joshua were tossing around for a while, with the rest of the band adding their own parts. Meaning there wasn’t as much band collaboration as there would be later. After extensive touring, the band eventually found themselves in Australia with Blink-182. After a show one night, the guys where in the dressing room with Mark Hoppus, who expressed an interest in recording their next CD. MCS jumped at the chance and released
Commit This To Memory. This is the re-released version, featuring a new song, a live show from the beginning of the Commit This To Memory Tour, a documentary on the band, and a new video for the song LGFUAD.
Music
The music on here is very poppy, and much more radio friendly than their previous endeavor, which I believe is a direct result of the entire band having more input in the music than they did before. One thing I noticed was that the bass is more pronounce on here, especially in
Make Out Kids, which features a fun, bouncy riff throughout most of the song. The guitars branch out a bit more on here than on
I Am The Movie, not always playing just power chords, but using interesting riffs and licks. Songs like
When You’re Around,
Feel Like Rain, and
Hangman all feature interesting guitar lines that work well together. The moog lines in the CD mesh well with the rest of the song, and never seem forced or out of place. Songs like
Everything Is Alright and
Time Turn Fragile showcase Jesse’s ability perfectly. I’ve always been impressed with Tony’s skill on the drums. Ever since
I Am The Movie he’s been playing more than just a back beat. Nothing changes here, as most songs are backed by his interesting rhythms and fills.
The Lyrics
The lyrics go through a slew of emotions throughout the album. From the humor found throughout
LGFUAD
” Let's get ***ed up and die. I'm speaking figuratively, of course.”
To the gut wrenching love/longing in
Hold Me Down
”You're the echoes of my everything,
You're the emptiness the whole world sings at night.
You're the laziness of afternoon,
You're the reason why I burst and why I bloom
You're the leaky sink of sentiment,
You're the failed attempts I never could forget.
You're the metaphors I can't create to comprehend this curse that I call love..
How, will I break the news to you?”
To the quirky weirdness of
Everything Is Alright
”'Cause I hate the ocean, theme parks and airplanes,
Talking with strangers, waiting in line.
I'm through with these pills that make me sit still.
Are you feeling fine?
Yes, I feel just fine.”
All of these lines flowing naturally from Justin’s voice, which can go from a soothing croon, to this lound, hoarse voice that demands your attention.
The Extra Stuff
The added song on the CD is
Invisible Monsters, and its Motion City at their best. The live show features songs from both CD’s, and showcase the bands incredible live performances and occasional humor. The documentary contains interviews with the entire band, and follows them from the acoustic band they began as, to the synth-pop band they are today. The video is an interesting mesh up of different people singing the song, with Justin coming back at the end, and the whole band playing behind him.
Is It Worth It???
It depends on your MCS situation. If you’re as obsessed with them as I am, and your looking for your next fix, then this if for you. If you got
I Am The Movie, and want more of the same, then the poppier sound might disappoint you. If you’ve never heard of them, but liked my review and think its your bag, then this is definitely worth it.
Final Score
4.5
