Dig It

It’s been over a decade since Motion City Soundtrack first started to take shape. And years of touring, a small cult following and three studio albums later, they have officially gone mainstream. With their fourth album, “My Dinosaur Life,” Motion City Soundtrack slips themselves right back into the punk/alternative niche they found all those years ago with their first album “I Am The Movie” (2003). The ripping guitars, floating synth and driving drums prove the perfect score for the trials and tribulations of front-man Justin Pierre. He is responsible for most of the lyrics, combining a blend of his life experience with the fantasies and nightmares that all too many college kids can relate with.

Over the years, their sound has definitely transformed, but what makes this band special is how they continue to capture the same kind of fans regardless of how unique each album may sound; each album is different enough from its predecessor for it to be noticeable. In this way, the band has followed a natural evolution, absorbing more of the popular genre sound and attracting just as many “scenesters” and indie kids as when they started.

The cult nature of “I Am the Movie” certainly lent itself to those listeners, and the cries of “melody and mayhem” that followed the sophomore release “Commit This To Memory” (2005) were just what the emo/punk rock scene was looking for. “Even If It Kills Me” (2007) increased their fan base by introducing popular style that could be likened to a Ben Folds/Jimmy Eat World lovechild.

“My Dinosaur Life” seems to be the breakthrough combination the band has needed; evenly distributing their style across the twelve tracks that make up this latest LP. The album is a definite must listen for any Motion City fan, but it is recommended for anyone interested in punk/alternative rock.