Motion City Soundtrack - My Dinosaur Life

"It's been a good year

A good new beginning,

I'm through with the old school

So let's commence the winning"

And thus Motion City Soundtrack's new power-pop slash alternative monster, appropriately titled My Dinosaur Life, begins. I feel like it's impossible to review this album without giving due respect to this opening line, found on the track "Worker Bee," because MCS have gone through yet another renewal. Fans may know that lead songwriter and vocalist Justin Pierre has had his drug problems in the past, thanks to enough references in their previous albums (I'm speaking...figuratively of course) and the ensuing press after its fairly noteworthy success for an alternative album. It seems he got back off the wagon sometime between now and then, a depressing story that both cost him romance and apparently taught him to curse even more. But after such a story, he's back in shape and still spitting out smile-inducing alt-pop.

So yes, it's a good new beginning for Justin. I don't know if My Dinosaur Life will commence any actual sense of "winning" for the band, but I do know it shouldn't alienate a single fan. My primary example? Myself.

I don't buy albums for full price anymore. You just don't have to. If you are, then you're getting ripped off. Somewhere, every single album is being sold digitally for less than you paid for it. If you're patient enough, the album you want might even show up on Amazon's Deal of the Day for less than $5. Or at least it could show up on their 500 cds for $5 lists, which change every single month. So when I tell you I bought My Dinosaur Life on vinyl, for quite a large price, you need to realize it was out of dedication for the band. Also, a quick streaming of the entire album on Myspace before I bought it made the decision a little easier. But still...generally I wouldn't do such a crazy thing like spend more than $5-$10 for a digital download.

In this case, however, I'd say it was worth it to get my hands on My Dinosaur Life. I'll throw a disclaimer down and say that it truly won't change your life in any way, it's still a record about drugs, women, and rock n' roll. But compared to the loads of "same old, same old" alt-pop that trudge through these shallow waters, only recognizable because the internet can make anybody (and I mean ANYBODY) accessible, MCS have established themselves as the top tier of alternative.

So, you ask, what proof do I have? Well I honestly think their last effort, Even If It Kills Me, had maybe a handful of gems, IF it even did. Some of the acoustic versions off that album were better drafts than the overload of synth and what I felt was over-production throughout most of the album. But My Dinosaur Life I think brought the synth back to a more manageable level, and gave us back some of the production value in a raw format comparable to the band's first effort I Am The Movie. And this, my friends, is a good thing.

Take for example, the first song from MDL that the band released, "Disappear". It echoes back to songs like "Boombox Generation" but twists things up with a pulsing tempo and expertly produced guitar work. I still quite enjoy that song, even though they released it over a month before the album. And of course, the first single "Her Words Destroyed My Planet" is vintage MCS, telling a story of love's downfall with an extremely personal and cultural touch that they've always specialized in. The chorus may not be radio-catchy, but you can't deny that the build-up at the end beats out the one in "Broken Heart" from their last record. And since you probably got through the virally catchy "A Lifeless Ordinary" and the intense but abrupt "Worker Bee" to get there, chances are you'll be extremely happy by that point.

The album takes a shift though after the first four songs. I dare say that they don't even try to upstage the first half at all, but that's what albums are generally designed to do. That's not to dissuade you from checking out the latter part of MDL, but make note that the powerful 4-punch intro may ultimately sour your experience from then on. When "Disappear" flows into "Delirium" and the very catchy "History Lesson," you'll probably find yourself thinking that these are great songs. But in the shadows of giants, even the mildly strong seem weaker. It's a strange flaw that will keep you coming back to these songs, but they'll only make you hunger for the better taste.

That being said, "History Lesson" and the aptly named "@!#?@!" are catchy as all get out if you can stand the constant cursing. Pierre seems apt at turning his greatest complaints about other people into explicit, somehow-upbeat choruses. So if you enjoyed songs like "When You're Around" or "LGFUAD" from their album Commit This to Memory, you'll feel at home with most of MDL. A few songs don't have to curse, among them the only slow song and slightly less-than-impressive "Stand Too Close". I'd say once the album loses its stride with that song, it's a little tougher to hold on to.

BUT, if you stay with us, you'll find a few clever and in my opinion very enjoyable songs towards the end. "Pulp Fiction" has a fast and quirky chorus, where Pierre sings "It's like a bad dream/Something in the back of a magazine/Black and white and cheaply put together/Like a slasher film/I'm torn in opposite directions/The plot sucks, but the killings are gorgeous." I can't help but smile every time I think about it, it's such an easy metaphor to latch onto. But it's also no been-there, done-that metaphor either. Then the contemplative "Skin and Bones" is a safer MCS song but easily accessible, though it could have come straight out of Commit This to Memory in my opinion.

And of course, just as they did with Even If It Kills Me, My Dinosaur Life ends expertly. "The Weakends" may not be as good as the last album's title track, but it most certainly makes you glad you kept going until the end. It has a hint of Relient K in its intro, but absolutely becomes a song that's both truly MCS and also a little anthem-y. I mean, it's no "Capital H," but it's impressive in a way you'll want to come back to.

So it's not perfect, but you didn't expect it to be anyways. I personally believe it's a more solid, substantial release than Even If It Kills Me, and that any fans who loved previous releases should take the opportunity to latch onto this album. If only to support Motion City Soundtrack on their escalator ride to popularity. That's where I'm coming from, and I don't regret it.