Well, I guess it's been a few days. Goldangit! has slowly but steadily been cranking out guitar tracks for the remaining two songs (one is finished save for vocal mixing, I will probably be all showy-offy on Thursday or so). Our ghetto drum recording apparatus (apparati? there are multiple thingies after all) has also continued to work successfully and with each day we become proficient at panning, leveling, and other -ings unique to the world of people who push levers around for fun.
Last Wednesday my jazz group performed at NMS's annual winter recital, a short two days after our first gig of the season at the Peabody Museum. If Blogger had a cool little audio insert function I would show off some recordings, but until I find the motivation to get that shit on Youtube you will just have to use your imaginations.
As far as music that I am not directly involved in, two days ago I downloaded the most recent effort by Motion City Soundtrack, My Dinosaur Life. Upon first listen I was more than a little disappointed, but that's what I get for continuing to expect I Am The Movie Part IV when Justin and the gang have created two squeakily-cleanly-produced pop albums since then. In terms of musical progression, this album is an obvious next step down the path that Commit This To Memory and Even If It Kills Me have taken the band. I'll admit I literally laughed out loud at the audacity they had to cram as many cliched pop-punk conventions as they could into twelve songs. However, Motion City's creative streak has not faded completely, and I sense a lot of good singles, if not classics, coming from My Dinosaur Life.
My main problem with this album, though, is the lack of crunchy synth leads that set MCS apart from their peers during the early 2000's. This seems to be a trend with bands of this ilk lately: as the members age/mature/settle down/what have you, the music tends to draw closer and closer to a generic guitar-driven pop rock sound. I had the same complaint about Less Than Jake when they had the balls to release In With The Out Crowd but at least Motion City have retained certain aspects that give them their edge; notably, Justin Pierre's style of witty, observational lyrics has not eluded him in his age of sobriety, and in fact his "new beginning" seems to be the overlaying theme of this album. He references his past addictions and failed relationships in most songs (and alludes to "Indoor Living" among other motifs that have carried over among records) but the pop sensibility is still there. He certainly has a knack for hooks, but it's clear that his preference over the years has shifted from angry minor-key shouts to cheerful refrains that never fail to elicit a head bob or three.
The first single, "Disappear," is a bit of an anomaly for the band. Its heavy, edgy, guitar-driven sound is a far cry from the super-polished power pop that made MCS popular. Personally, I love it, as it's a great example of what a combination of the best elements from I Am The Movie and Even If It Kills Me would sound like.
I haven't decided if these can be counted among my favorite tracks or if they're just too catchy to get out of my head, but "A Lifeless Ordinary" and "Her Words Destroyed My Planet" are definite standouts of the album. The chorus of the former is almost unbearably cliche but the lyrical content and groovy verses save this tune, along with Justin's admirable verbosity.
"Pulp Fiction" is another favorite and the one song on the album that actually has a lead synth hook. "Stand Too Close" is my current #1 for no reason except it's catchy, smart, cute, and just in case Mrs. Frumento gets over her fear of the interwebs, I could really get into it.
I realized that I could easily write a synposis of every damn song on the album, which is ultimately a testament to its pervasiveness despite its tendency to breach the dreaded terrority of triteness. In summation, Justin Pierre's ability to write a clever verse carries this album out of the hole it dug itself by abandoning Jesse Johnson's trademark Moog sounds in favor of lead guitar riffs. I would suggest this album for fans of newer Motion City or anyone who enjoys catchy power pop. I can't say how quickly I'll grow tired of it but I've definitely gotten over my initial reaction of disappointment.
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