Like the also-underrated
Ultimate Fakebook
,
Motion City Soundtrack
's buoyant sound is informed by their slight age gap from the average pogoing kid. Both bands are eager to find
pop
-
punk
's widest point across, a place that includes not only
Superchunk
and
Sunny Day
, but classic
rock
fervor and real vocal melody. And as he proved on 2003's
I Am the Movie
Motion City
frontman
Justin Pierre
can actually sing. Which is different from just yelling really loud. His falsetto is silky against the crunchy guitars, giving the band a
sound even when they're rocking out. Actually,
Commit This to Memory
doesn't actually rock out that much -- it prefers midrange tracks like
"Make Out Kids"
or the undeniable
"Attractive Today,"
songs that use
Jesse Johnson
's moog in conjunction with treated guitar to separate the verses from those big, dynamite, strobe light choruses.
Pierre
's lyrics have an eye for the mundane detail, too. "I'm sick of the things I do when I'm nervous/Like cleaning the oven or checking my tires," he says in
"Everything Is Alright."
The details help
, because it makes their wistful memories, tales of breaking up, and frantic searches for answers realer than the next
combo on the quadruple summertime bill. "Let's get f*cked up and die," the clever
"LG Faud"
begins. But it's not what you think. "I am speaking figuratively of course," Pierre continues. The track's acoustic layers are a nice touch; in conjunction with the softer
"Together We'll Ring in the New Year,"
they add a subtle sense to
Memory
that suggests
craftsmen like
Guided by Voices
or
the Posies
.
isn't there yet --
does have a slight sameness about it. But right when it starts to get a little trying, the gorgeously mid-tempo
"Resolution"
and punchy
"Feel Like Rain"
prove the band's songcraft is already functioning at a higher level. And no amount of additional pogoing will bring their competition a golden intangible like that. ~ Johnny Loftus