Motion City Soundtrack - Go (02/07/2012)
With fifteen years behind them, Motion City Soundtrack’s fifth studio album, Go, marks a return to Epitaph records and a strength in the band’s maturity. While many artists struggle to find a median between the styles they began writing with and a more mature outlook on their music, Motion City Soundtrack have been able to create a relatively balanced mix of the two in this album. And with only a few lack-lustre moments across the 14 tracks, Go has certainly earned its place amongst their discography.
Over the years, Motion City Soundtrack have played a mix of high-powered pop punk and more laidback pop-rock, alternating between the two styles on their albums. Go continues with this mix, playing a balance of upbeat and slower pop-rock tracks, that have a distinct relaxed edge to them. For the most part, they’ve taken a step away from heavy electric guitar notes and instead headed to prominent synth melodies and acoustic guitar.
Both of the singles from the album embody the signature style of Motion City Soundtrack and show clear links to the band’s earlier albums. On True Romance, Justin Pierre’s bubbly vocals and the simple acoustic guitar backing builds into a light-hearted pop track complete with an insanely catchy synth melody. In contrast, Timelines seems to be a simple and almost vintage track. The autobiographical lyrics, based around Pierre’s line “it’s not a matter of time, it’s just a matter of timing”, create a highly relatable idea. Combined with the recognizable pop-rock tone of the backing music, this track sits comfortably among Motion City Soundtrack’s memorable hits.
Of course the most notable feature of the album is the band’s work with a string quartet on Everyone Will Die. The track opens with a carefully stripped down sound that allows the strength of the lyrics to shine, before swelling into a moving orchestral break. The slower tempo of this track is mirrored later in Happy Anniversary, undoubtedly one of the more melancholy songs by Motion City Soundtrack. The lyrical exploration of the emotional turmoil of a loved one’s death creates an undeniable sense of vulnerability and haunting story throughout the song. Musically, these tracks sit apart from the rest of the album, however, their tone and lyrical journeys create a greater depth to the overall themes of the album.
Motion City Soundtrack have endeavoured to create a space in their music for their new-found maturity and with their new album, they have certainly found a good balance of old and new. The sophistication of their song-writing, especially through the play between the lyrics and musical accompaniment, has really pulled off this album, leaving us with an almost optimistic album that appeals to fans both new and old.
Bethany Williams
Over the years, Motion City Soundtrack have played a mix of high-powered pop punk and more laidback pop-rock, alternating between the two styles on their albums. Go continues with this mix, playing a balance of upbeat and slower pop-rock tracks, that have a distinct relaxed edge to them. For the most part, they’ve taken a step away from heavy electric guitar notes and instead headed to prominent synth melodies and acoustic guitar.
Both of the singles from the album embody the signature style of Motion City Soundtrack and show clear links to the band’s earlier albums. On True Romance, Justin Pierre’s bubbly vocals and the simple acoustic guitar backing builds into a light-hearted pop track complete with an insanely catchy synth melody. In contrast, Timelines seems to be a simple and almost vintage track. The autobiographical lyrics, based around Pierre’s line “it’s not a matter of time, it’s just a matter of timing”, create a highly relatable idea. Combined with the recognizable pop-rock tone of the backing music, this track sits comfortably among Motion City Soundtrack’s memorable hits.
Of course the most notable feature of the album is the band’s work with a string quartet on Everyone Will Die. The track opens with a carefully stripped down sound that allows the strength of the lyrics to shine, before swelling into a moving orchestral break. The slower tempo of this track is mirrored later in Happy Anniversary, undoubtedly one of the more melancholy songs by Motion City Soundtrack. The lyrical exploration of the emotional turmoil of a loved one’s death creates an undeniable sense of vulnerability and haunting story throughout the song. Musically, these tracks sit apart from the rest of the album, however, their tone and lyrical journeys create a greater depth to the overall themes of the album.
Motion City Soundtrack have endeavoured to create a space in their music for their new-found maturity and with their new album, they have certainly found a good balance of old and new. The sophistication of their song-writing, especially through the play between the lyrics and musical accompaniment, has really pulled off this album, leaving us with an almost optimistic album that appeals to fans both new and old.
Bethany Williams