On first hearing 'Throw Down' on the Schatzi split EP earlier this year, I instally fell for the charms of Motion City Soundtrack. With keyboards swirling all over the shop around some perky pop-punk riffs, MCS were a breath of fresh air in a scene that's over-saturated with bands believing they're either of the emo or post-hardcore persuasion. On the face of it MCS were a band that appeared to put the fun back into the songs and the energy from the tracks on the EP got me excited. On receiving 'I Am The Movie' I anticipated a really fun, summery record but was left feeling a little flat when I realised that only half of this album fits those requirements.
The album isn't so bad in that it's loaded with crap songs, it just doesn't meet my expectations set by the high standards of the EP. There are some fantastic moments on here, namely 'Capital H' and 'Mary w/o Sound', but then when the upbeat tracks, which are instant summer anthems, fall by the wayside into plodding synth fuelled efforts you're left scratching your head. At 14 tracks it's more Lord of the Rings in length than Phone Booth and this detracts from the overall quality. There are just too many songs; quality over quantity and all that.
Opener 'Cambridge' starts things off in the way you expect them to go on with fast paced rythmns with keyboards knocking about all over the shop. 'Shiver' follows up nicely with a hook-laden chorus shining over melodic verses. The Ozma-like 'The Future Freaks Me Out' is another instant track, but things start to sound a little too familiar by the time 'Indoor Living' comes round. It's a good song, but the originality that MCS do possess in places certainly isn't used to maximum effect. First single 'My Favourite Accident' is a good example of MCS at their best, but it's no 'Throw Down'. They keyboards play a high role in the mix, like The Reunion Show, but the plodding verses detract from what is a decent track.
MCS are at their best when they push the pace and create some wonderful swirling keyboards around a driving pop-punk sound. Tracks like 'Don't Call It A Comeback' and 'Capital H' are great because they're so off the wall. But when the band simply plod along they're no better than an Ozma tribute act. And while the good parts certainly outwiegh the duller moments, there is still something missing. 'Modern Chemistry', for example, sounds so much like those Weezer clones that it's bordering on plagarism. Infact if I didn't know this was MCS I'd swear it was Ozma. 'Autographs and Apologies' also meanders through when surely it would be better served as a b-side.
This is a good record and worthy checking out, especially when the sun shines, but I'm just left with the feeling that this could have been so much better. The good tracks are very good, the others smack of unoriginality and there's too much filler when 10 tracks would probably have seen a killer album.
Paul
