I Am the Movie in Bloomington, MN

Midwest rockers
Motion City Soundtrack
give their best
post-grunge
impression on their studio debut,
I Am the Movie
. It's probably the slickest thing
Epitaph
has released up to this point and pretty stylish compared to their celebrated
punk
roster (
Bad Religion
,
Pennywise
Rancid
Dropkick Murphys
), but who's to say that
isn't worthy of being on such a label?
is layered with rich guitar hooks and small electronic bits are precisely tweaked throughout the 14-song set. The band's fierce musicianship is solid and frontman/guitarist
Justin Pierre
's
emo
-tinged vocals are charming, and fans of
Jimmy Eat World
and the like will enjoy that. What's made
a staple among the
community all these years is their ability to single out the pure
rock & roll
grit, and
doesn't exactly possess such energy. But don't write 'em off just yet.
is ambitious in presentation and
pop
kids latching onto the new-millennium wave of
post-alternative rock
will appreciate the band's whimsical
rock
sound.
might be aiming for that polished
-inspired style and obviously they're eager in effort, so the potential is there. There's nothing wrong with some shiny
punk-pop
. ~ MacKenzie Wilson