The Movielife – 40 Hour Train Back To Penn

After hearing their last EP, … Has A Gambling Problem, I was not very impressed. It was basic pop-punk and nothing spectacular, the band even admits that. Vinnie Caruana (vocals/lyrics) describes it as a “step backwards”. But with their new release, Forty Hour Train Back To Penn, my opinion has change completely. I have falling in love with their unique style and authenticity. If you ever get a chance to pick up this album, do, you will not be disappointed. Their sound is a hard one, but still keeping the catchy vocals and lyrics together. This quintet produces a sound is amazing (and plus you get a 8 song Drive-Thru Records CD with it, so there’s another plus!).

Your probably wondering where the guys came up with the name for the album, well it is a line from their 2nd song, Jamestown. The lyrics goes like this: “Late-night snowfall. Jamestown 94 West. And FORTY HOUR TRAIN BACK TO PENN”. The song is about a car crash they were in while on tour in support of their second album, This Time Next Year. The song starts off with a hard beat, one which I have no idea how to describe, they keep that up in the background for a lot of the song. The vocals by Vinnie are powerful and there is a steady beat for the song. The next song is Spanaway and it starts off much much slower with a nice little bass riff then it goes quiet as the vocals enter and the beat gets harder. The song is much slower but still has a hardcore emo feel to it.

Kelly Song is the fourth sing and by far my absolute favorite track on the whole CD. The vocals are catchy and goes perfect with the sound. It starts off slowly with a short bass riff as the first two verses pass us by. They pick it up afterwards with a fast beat, but still bring it back down every once in a while. It is about a 3 year relationship that fell apart because both parties made mistakes. It is an amazing song and is one I will not soon forget.

Another good song is track 7, Hey, this is a slower song, and really the only “ballad-like” song. It is smooth and catchy. Ship To Shore is the final song and is a great choice to end this powerful record. The vocals are once again strong and well done by Vinnie. It has the hardcore/emo feel I love from this band and is just a great choice to end it all.

Now for a short overview. This album has received so much press and got hyped up a lot, and they deserved every little thing. From the first track (Face Or Kneecaps) to the final one (Ship To Shore), there is rarely a drop in musical talent. All of the lyrical content is powerful and true, written by Vinnie about past events in time.  And if what all I have said does not convince you to buy this album, as I mentioned before, there is a 8 song DTR sampler CD in there for your enjoyment as well.