Motion
City Soundtrack / Schatzi
Split CDEP
Doghouse
Records / Redemption
Genres: pop-punk, alternative rock
schatzi
/ motion
city soundtrack
Aug 25 - 31 2003 |
Split
EPs are arguably the best way to test out new bands. You don't have to
commit to a full album, but unlike compilations you get more than just
one song to base your opinion of the band on. Enter the Motion City
Soundtrack / Schatzi split.
So this is essentially a pop-punk disc. Both bands play alternative
rock / punk-pop hybrids, heavy on fast tempo, speedy rhythms and
youthfully simple melodies. Motion City Soundtrack is the
better of the two; they seem to have a stronger grasp on the instantly
infectious melodies that are needed for the genre. "Throw
Down," their first tune, has the type of melodic urgency that
could land it among the charts with Sum 41 and Blink 182.
Is that a good thing? Well, you'll have to answer that question
yourself. "Capital H" is just as accessible, but more silly
and just-for-fun, while "Back to the Beat" isn't really much
of a song due to its bizarre structure, although the chorus of
"you've got soul" is insanely enjoyable to listen to.
Schatzi's half of the disc is considerably less enjoyable.
"Coreopsis" is melodic but doesn't hold under repeated
listens. "Arithmetic's Collapse" is their best track, taking
a strong Blink 182 influence in the vocals as well as the song
structure. Their last song is a poorly-chosen cover of "Any Way
You Want It," which is both unusual and uninteresting.
Overall, this is a solid EP for fans of mainstream pop-punk. If you
hate bands like Sum 41 and The Offspring, however,
you're bound to abhor this.
80%
Matt Shimmer
[Vitals: 6 tracks, distributed by the
label, released 2003] |