Commit This to Memory

by Motion City Soundtrack

Overview

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 pop 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 Motion City Soundtrack, because it makes their wistful memories, tales of breaking up, and frantic searches for answers realer than the next pop-punk 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 pop craftsmen like Guided by Voices or the Posies. Motion City Soundtrack isn't there yet -- Commit This to Memory 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

Product Details

Release Date:	11/16/2010
Label:	EPITAPH
UPC:	0045778675012

Tracks

1. Attractive Today
2. Everything Is Alright
3. When "You're" Around
4. Resolution
5. Feel Like Rain
6. Make Out Kids
7. Time Turned Fragile
8. L.G. FUAD
9. Better Open the Door
10. Together We'll Ring in the New Year
11. Hangman
12. Hold Me Down

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Motion City Soundtrack   Primary Artist
Jesse Johnson   Keyboards,Moog Synthesizer
Joshua Cain   Guitar,Vocals (Background)
Robb MacLean   Vocals
Justin Courtney Pierre   Guitar,Vocals
Mark Hoppus   Vocals
Jesse Johnson's Revue   Keyboards,Moog Bass
Patrick Carrie   Vocals
Patrick Stump   Vocals
Tony Thaxton   Drums,Percussion
Joshua Gain   Guitar,Vocals (Background)
Matt Taylor   Piano,Percussion,Guitar (Bass),Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Ryan Hewitt   Audio Engineer,Audio Production,Engineer,Producer
Mark Hoppus   Audio Production,Producer
Jacques Wait   Assistant
Justin Courtney Pierre   Composer
Chris Testa   Assistant Engineer
Femio Hernandez   Assistant Engineer
Motion City Soundtrack   Composer
Tom Lord-Alge   Mixing
Matthew Taylor   Composer
Joshua Cain   Composer
Tony Thaxton   Composer
Mark Trombino   Mixing
J. Pierre   Composer
Eric "Vegetable" Olsen   Assistant
Cameron Barton   Assistant
Bryan Sheffield   Photography
Jesse Johnson   Composer
Nick Pritchard   Design,Artwork
Tom Baker   Mastering