I aim to take no stand.
This bitter silence is the only play I have.
In light of all their laughter, I'll take to keeping shy.
A resolution that I've finally had enough."
These are the lyrics that begin "Go." "Go" is the fantastic new album by five man Minneapolis based indie-rock band Motion City Soundtrack. The band, known for it's electronic meets indie rock sound, has continued to show growth throughout their five albums and nearly 15 years of existence. "Go" is no exception to this. "Go" (from a songwriting standpoint) is an album all about reaching a crossroads in life and things beginning to change for the better. This is also reflected in the new sound that the band has achieved with this new release that is sure to bring in new fans. The album is also a great change of pace for longtime fans like myself.
Here is the band playing the opening track of "Go", "Circuits and Wires."
The passion project of singer/guitar player Justin Pierre, guitar player Joshua Cain, synth player Jesse Johnson, bassist Mathew Taylor, and drummer Tony Thaxton, Motion City Soundtrack has long been a shining example of a band that has grown with its audience. While always maintaining the same overall sound, Pierre has been able to give each album its own distinct feel. From the high school drama inspired "I Am the Movie" to the college identity crisis filled "Commit This to Memory" through on to the trials and tribulations of a 20 something that made up "My Dinosaur Life", this is a band that has grown over time. This is no doubt helped by the fact that the lineup has stayed consistent since the bands early days playing in seedy clubs in their hometown of Minneapolis. From Joshua Cain's trashing guitars to Jesse Johnson distinct synthesizer playing, the band has carved out a nice niche for itself. Pierre's nervous and geek friendly lyrics combined with the bands combination of punk rock and electronica has made Motion City Soundtrack one of this past decades most unique and distinctive bands. But enough about what the band has done in the past and onto their newest material.
Apart from songwriting, "Go" is also a change in the sound of Motion City Soundtrack. The album is less thrashy and has a calmer, more relaxed sound to it. The album is less ADD/manic depressive and more mellow/mature. This is helped by the increase of electronic elements on the album. This seems to be in line with a trend that a lot of bands have been following these days. Make everything more electronic and produced. However unlike most every other band out there today, this approach fits "Go" perfectly. After coming off of their biggest hit with "My Dinosaur Life", the band wisely chose to go with a very different sound on "Go." The new sound, combined with the maturity of the lyrics, make "Go" one of the best albums Motion City Soundtrack has made to date. While I wouldn't put it quite at the top (that spot might always go to "My Dinosaur Life"), I would put this at a sold number two.
I would assume that the main target audience for this album is the longtime fan base, however the album's more polished sound greatly increases it's mainstream appeal. Aside from the fan base, the album would also appeal to fans of alternative/indie rock as well as those looking for a nice blend of hard rock and quieter acoustic songs. The thing that makes "Go" stand out as an important album is the fact that it is an album all about inner change. It's an album that is all about admitting your mistakes and apologizing to the people who you have hurt in your life. "Go" is at it's core about looking inside yourself to become the best person you can be. This is a message that you're not going to find very often in today's music and frankly, it's something that people need to hear. The album is definitely reflecting a current trend in music of a band completely changing their sound. Over the last year or so, bands such as Coldplay, Death Cab for Cutie, and Muse have all been putting out albums that are completely different from their usual output.
This departure in style is really the highest praise I can offer "Go." It's maturity and thoughtfulness has really made it one of the better albums I've heard this year and I can't wait to see what Motion City Soundtrack does next. A tiny problem I have with "Go" is the fact that a couple of the songs sound a little to similar to each other in terms of melody. However this is only a small complaint lobbied against this great album. Another issue that the album has is a slight lack of cohesion. Certain songs like "The Worst Is Yet To Come" get a little overblown and overproduced. Multiple piano and synth tracks make for a couple of moments when the album gets a little over produced. However these moments are few and far between. "Go" is an album that will definitely be in heavy rotation on my end and judging by the positive critical reception the album has received, the same goes for them.
At the time of this writing my friends and I are planning on finally seeing Motion City Soundtrack in concert. This is something that we have all wanted to do for quite some time. We have all been big fans of theirs, even going so far as going to the midnight release of their previous album. It goes without saying that I listened to "Go" a couple more times before sitting down to write this. Writing what has been my first music review has been a learning experience. I've had to figure out how to adjust my usual critiquing to something that I am simply listening to rather than watching and listening. I hope I get the chance to do another music review in the future.
