Sunday, February 07, 2010
A+E, Music, Reviews

Motion City Soundtrack

“MY DINOSAUR LIFE”  (COLUMBIA)

Welcome to the pop-emo movement’s new king of pain. Motion City Soundtrack has the credibility, the resume, and—after a jump to the majors (after three releases on the scrappy Epitaph label)—the visibility and distribution to finally cross over to those fans aching for tightly wound, Weezer-esque punk rock without that band’s self-deprecating humor.

  Everything clicks well enough for MCS fans to herald this as not only the band’s high-water mark, but one of the best albums in its genre in recent memory. The songs sport sing-along choruses, the lyrics are plentiful and the band plays with verve and conviction. So why does it all sound so predictable?

  The focus is on frontman and songwriter Justin Pierre’s prodigious, personal, F-bomb infused and often clunky lyrics, such as “Like a slasher film/I’m torn in opposite directions/the plot sucks but the killings are gorgeous,” sung with requisite “why-me?” resignation. The music shifts from loud to soft, with short guitar solos punctuating and stabbing, and polished production by Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus and mixing from veteran Andy Wallace ensure a professional sound. In other words, if you’re already a fan of either the band or the style, this will register.

  But that doesn’t make MCS distinctive enough to pick out of a lineup of other acts clogging the similar trendy emo-punk-pop pipeline. In that respect, “My Dinosaur Life” works best as tart ear-candy for disaffected post-tweens, waiting anxiously for the next Jimmy Eat World set. 2.5 STARS—Hal Horowitz