flks511
03/17/09, 04:23 PM
The Movielife - Forty Hour Train Back To Penn
Record Label: Drive-Thru Records
Release Date: February 25, 2003
In the world of pop-punk/melodic hardcore, it is rare to see a band go long into their career without changing their style for the worse, or becoming more mainstream (Saves The Day, Taking Back Sunday, AFI, etc.). But then there are bands like The Movielife, who were experts at re-creating their own sound, while maintaining the drive and spark that made them a special find in the first place.
Before the band's breakup, I had followed the band closely, as I was intrigued by their ability to make a catchy, but honest and unpretentious punk song. I was stunned by lead vocalist Vinnie Caruana's voice, which fit in perfectly with the rest of the band. I loved the band's first two full-length releases, and was really excited for their third album, Forty Hour Train Back To Penn. The album was very much what I expected: driving punk, nonstop for the whole album.
I enjoyed all of the album. The production is excellent and not overdone at all. Each song rocks individually, and there is very little redundancy. I even love the lyrics, which is a really difficult for me to say, as I am a real stickler for an album's lyrics. All the words are straightforward, and Caruana doesn't lazily use old cliches in his lyrics like many of the common pop-punk vocalists of today. What I like most about the album, though, is that it is simple, and not showy, so I don't get sick of listening to it as easy as most pop-punk. The guitar arrangements are nothing particularly ambitious. They are more used as a vehicle to carry the vocals through the album, but there is way too much going on throughout the CD to focus on that small part of the album.
The songs are all different, but I enjoyed each of them. Album opener "Face or Kneecaps" is aggressive and upbeat, with a very clear-cut chorus ("All those fucked up things you put me through/You lost the only thing you had left to lose"). "Jamestown" is fairly moving, written about the crash of the band's tour van, which played a big role in the band's breakup. Both "Kelly Song" and "Jamaica Next" feature interesting drum work by Evan Baken, and the vocals are catchy enough. The highlight of the album, however, is the song "Hey." Musically, it is simple and pretty accessible, but it has a certain feel that's hard to explain, and it captures a softer side of the band.
Being the last album the band released before they called it quits, I think they ended their careers together on a good note, but this album is proof that they could have achieved much more had they stayed together. The CD truly captures the essence of The Movielife before the members went their separate ways.
Taking Back Sunday's Tell All Your Friends; I Am the Avalanche; Midtown; Four Year Strong
myspace.com/themovielife (http://www.myspace.com/themovielife)
Record Label: Drive-Thru Records
Release Date: February 25, 2003
In the world of pop-punk/melodic hardcore, it is rare to see a band go long into their career without changing their style for the worse, or becoming more mainstream (Saves The Day, Taking Back Sunday, AFI, etc.). But then there are bands like The Movielife, who were experts at re-creating their own sound, while maintaining the drive and spark that made them a special find in the first place.
Before the band's breakup, I had followed the band closely, as I was intrigued by their ability to make a catchy, but honest and unpretentious punk song. I was stunned by lead vocalist Vinnie Caruana's voice, which fit in perfectly with the rest of the band. I loved the band's first two full-length releases, and was really excited for their third album, Forty Hour Train Back To Penn. The album was very much what I expected: driving punk, nonstop for the whole album.
I enjoyed all of the album. The production is excellent and not overdone at all. Each song rocks individually, and there is very little redundancy. I even love the lyrics, which is a really difficult for me to say, as I am a real stickler for an album's lyrics. All the words are straightforward, and Caruana doesn't lazily use old cliches in his lyrics like many of the common pop-punk vocalists of today. What I like most about the album, though, is that it is simple, and not showy, so I don't get sick of listening to it as easy as most pop-punk. The guitar arrangements are nothing particularly ambitious. They are more used as a vehicle to carry the vocals through the album, but there is way too much going on throughout the CD to focus on that small part of the album.
The songs are all different, but I enjoyed each of them. Album opener "Face or Kneecaps" is aggressive and upbeat, with a very clear-cut chorus ("All those fucked up things you put me through/You lost the only thing you had left to lose"). "Jamestown" is fairly moving, written about the crash of the band's tour van, which played a big role in the band's breakup. Both "Kelly Song" and "Jamaica Next" feature interesting drum work by Evan Baken, and the vocals are catchy enough. The highlight of the album, however, is the song "Hey." Musically, it is simple and pretty accessible, but it has a certain feel that's hard to explain, and it captures a softer side of the band.
Being the last album the band released before they called it quits, I think they ended their careers together on a good note, but this album is proof that they could have achieved much more had they stayed together. The CD truly captures the essence of The Movielife before the members went their separate ways.
Taking Back Sunday's Tell All Your Friends; I Am the Avalanche; Midtown; Four Year Strong
myspace.com/themovielife (http://www.myspace.com/themovielife)