Motion City Soundtrack – Panic Stations

There comes a point in any band’s life in which their own back catalogue becomes their own worst enemy.  Fans and critics point to past albums as career highlights and lowlights, always forcing comparisons between old and new.  Worse yet, when the band evolves past their initial sound everyone always cries foul and flocks to the coveted “good old days.”  Yet somehow this trend has elluded Minneapolis pop-punk band Motion City Soundtrack.  Perhaps it’s the distinct synth-driven focal point binding the project together, but Motion City Soundtrack’s lengthy career has been bound by a successful thread of instrumental continuity.

Sugary pop arcs, playful “woah-ohs” alongside chirping and whistling synth notes just about sum up Motion City Soundtrack’s approach, and the formula isn’t that much different for their sixth full length, Panic Stations.  The band takes a “don’t break what’s not broken” formula and somehow continues to ignite the same spark that fans fell for almost eighteen years ago.

Panic Stations is notably darker in content, balancing out the emotions of loss with the redemption and resistance of Justin Pierre’s unmistakably calm vocals.  On songs like “It’s A Pleasure To Meet You” Pierre draws upon some of his lower pitches more readily explored with his emo-gaze side project Farewell Continental.  “You are not alone, we’ve all had our battles with darkness and sadness, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” inspires Pierre in his upbeat, empathetic account of moving beyond fettered relationships.  As with most Motion City Soundtrack releases, lyrics are subtly engaging.  Countering lower pitches with guitar heavy, synth-driven vibrancy of songs like “I Can Feel You,” you can tell that by this point in their career, Motion City Soundtrack really knows how to throw a song together.  Standout moments cluster in songs with uppity, melodic tempos and arcing verses like that of the classic buzzing hum of “Lose Control” and expressively paired riff-matched vocals of “Heavy Boots.”  

Panic Stations ends with the band’s flame retreating to the final slow burning embers of “Day Will Run Away.”  The track fits the bill for a great low key outro that further reinforces the subtle maturity that Motion City Soundtrack has achieved over the years.  Panic Stations may not offer a radical departure from the norm, but the album succeeds at feeling fresh amongst a familiar discography.