Motion City Soundtrack Album: “Even If It Kills Me”

Recently I was introduced to Motion City Soundtrack, before the release of Even If It Kills Me and fell in love with their fun lyrics and awesome beat. When I got this album I was surprised to see how amazing the band has become over the years. The tempo in each song DOES change often, keeping you engaged, along with lyrics that don't just sing, they tell intricate stories with lines you'll love.

It's amazing how different each song ends up being, from a piano based "The Conversation" to the tragic and dramatic "Hello Helicopter" and the upbeat "Where I belong" that starts with a catchy beat, and best of all lyrics that make you just want to sing along and laugh, each song carries it's own flavor of Motion City Soundtrack.

Overall, a great combination of music that will keep you wanting to play this album over and over again. It may very well be their best album yet.

I have to say, musically this is pretty much a straight up pop record. Catchy as hell, but not in a way that gets annoying. It's one of the rare pop records that actually grows on you with more and more listens.

The real part of this record that I love are the lyrics. Totally ridiculous and completely brilliant at the same time. I've never heard a more perfect tongue-in-cheek writer than Justin Pierre. Whoever said this is more enjoyable for 13-16 year olds is nuts. There hasn't been a record that's come out in the last few years that makes more sense to me lyrically (i'm 23, broke with very little credit and quite confused how to live life yet somehow hopeful...like every other person i know approaching their mid twenties, lol). I don't know if that's done on purpose since I think these guys are in their late 20's but it certainly speaks to me.

Bottom line, I think these guys are absolutely brilliant. In a giant sea of bands caught up in image, these guys (even though risky) still put their music first and image second which makes me do nothing but respect them. To Motion City Soundtrack and all their future success! I wish them nothing but the best! *Cheers*

When a band releases an album like "I Am the Movie," one is left to wonder how they can possibly top it, or, at least, keep the same quality. How relieved we all were when "Commit This to Memory" came out.

But can they do it again?

They can and they did. "Even if it Kills Me" is a good record. The band's music has evolved in just the right way. When you slap down your $12 for this album, you are paying for forty five minutes of gold. Every song hooks you in and holds your attention through to the end. Specifically, listen to "This is for Real" and "Antonia."

I purchased this CD after my original copy was taken back by an ex-boyfriend. I never thought I would be able to find it again since it was so old, but I did! It was so cheap and brand spankin new.

Marching in with hype and top-level producers, Motion City Soundtrack is clearly looking to make a statement within the music industry, that pop punk/rock is not dead, but it still lives on. With Fountains of Wayne frontman Adam Schlesinger and The Cars' Ric Ocasek in tow, they look to conquer a kingdom somewhere. Strangely enough, it may be the tools that make this sculpture have some of its most glaring flaws.

Probably the most noticeable lowlight of the album is "The Conversation," a standard piano ballad that comes off more insincere than it does emotional. Other than that, the band produces an album full of strong, but not necessarily memorable tracks. Case in point: "Broken Heart." And even the strongest tracks suffer from attributes I attribute to the producers. The back-half of "Hello Helicopter" is a good example, as it turns from an original and emotional track to too much of a pop rock emo fest.

And yes, the album does minorly earn it's language warning sticker. They throw around a few S-words, a F-word or two, but the strange thing is that it seems like the band is just throwing them around just to either sound cool, or be more mature. Let's just say, I could have done without them, but they neither hinder nor help the album to a great degree.

Pop punk highlights include the fun "This Is For Real," whose music video is a must-see. "Can't Finish What You Started," and "Where I Belong" also finish what they set out to do. In terms of highlights, the band puts probably puts out their best and/or second-best in the one-two punch of the quirky "Antonia," and "Even If It Kills Me," which is a strong set, finding its place in the back-half of the song. However, "Antonia" does lose a little momentum everytime the song leaves its verses.

Overall, Motion City Soundtrack lives up the hype and produces a strong set of songs, which wind up to be the band's best, by far. They come up with some catchy and fun pop punk/rock, adding a sense of quirk to the album. However, aside from the strong but unmemorable songs, the band makes little mistakes that take away from songs.

Looking to the credits however, a pattern emerges. Its impressive duel-producers seem to be the cause of the problem. While Ocasek is consistent in the album, Schlesinger is largely inconsistent, of course specializing in the pop punk songs, but faltering elsewhere. Little mistakes hinder the album, but if you're looking for a fun pop punk/rock album with variety and quirk, then this is the CD for you.