Motion City Soundtrack

Epitaph Records; September 2007

If you like self-loathing lyrics set to up-tempo riffs, you’re in luck: Motion City Soundtrack has maintained its tradition of delivering just that with its third full-length release, Even if it Kills Me. This is the first album frontman Justin Pierre has written sober, and his dedication to popnot pop punkclearly shows. But this isn’t necessarily a departure for Motion City Soundtrack, since each record has delivered increasingly poppy tunes. Here, it’s the band’s “This Is for Real” and “Broken Heart” that promise radio play; this reviewer, however, prefers the driving drum line in “Calling All Cops” and Jesse Johnson’s keyboard work on “Last Night.”