MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK - THE SAME OLD WASTED WONDERFUL WORLD
After ten years away, Minnesota musical mayhem masters Motion City Soundtrack are finally back and somehow, they sound better than ever. Mayhem? I hear you ask but let's be frank, they don't fit into any box adequately. It never really felt quite right that Motion City Soundtrack got lumped in with the pop-punk crowd early on. Sure, Commit This to Memory and Even If It Kills Me flirted with that sound, but even back on their debut I Am the Movie, it was obvious they were carving out their own space. They always lived in this strange middle zone: too thoughtful and sincere for the goofy, party-driven world of pop-punk but a bit too quirky for the take yourselves too seriously indie scene.
Maybe that’s why they stuck. Back in the 2000s, Motion City Soundtrack was one of the few bands willing to say what others wouldn’t. They talked openly about mental health, anxiety, and addiction at a time when that honesty wasn’t celebrated the way it is now. Commit This to Memory, their big breakthrough, had help from Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus and it wore its insecurities on its sleeve in a way that felt revolutionary. Now, a decade after 2015’s Panic Stations, their new record, The Same Old Wasted Wonderful World, picks those themes back up, only this time, with more confidence, a few new twists, and a couple of familiar voices returning.
The album kicks off with ‘Some Wear a Dark Heart’, a slow burn that builds from chiming guitars and Justin Pierre’s distinctive voice into something huge and anthemic. It’s a perfect reintroduction, familiar, but more refined. ‘She Is Afraid’ follows, leaning into the poppy side of their sound. Think Weezer or Fountains of Wayne rather than anything you’d call pop-punk. The song’s patient pacing and infectious chorus show a band that trusts its hooks and doesn’t need to rush to prove anything.
Part of what makes this album shine is Sean O’Keefe, who returns to produce after working on I Am the Movie. O’Keefe’s worked with big names like Fall Out Boy, but his connection to Motion City Soundtrack feels personal. He’s called their debut one of his favourite records ever, and you can tell. The production here is crisp and colourful but never overdone, like he knows exactly what makes them special.
Then there are the collaborations. Patrick Stump, old-time collaborator, comes back for ‘Particle Physics’, and it’s an instant standout. His harmonies with Pierre are as seamless as ever, calling back to their ‘Everything Is Alrigh't’ collab but with a new energy. Stump even co-wrote lyrics this time, stepping out of his comfort zone to help craft a song about needing someone who truly gets you when no one else does. It’s goofy, heartfelt, and catchy as hell, a classic Motion City combo.
The middle of the record doesn’t let up. ‘Downer’ brings a burst of fuzz-driven energy that lifts the whole album, while ‘Mi Corazon’ takes risks with darker, post-hardcore edges. It might throw some longtime fans for a loop, but it proves they’re not just coasting on nostalgia. And ‘Bloodlines’? At just 1:41, it’s a punk-perfect track, fast, raw, and tailor-made for live shows. It flows perfectly into ‘Things Like This’, a penultimate track that feels like a love letter to simpler times with friends.
Of course, the backbone of this band has always been Justin Pierre’s lyrics. He has this uncanny ability to turn pain into poetry without ever losing sincerity. Whether he’s blurting out surreal one-liners in ‘Particle Physics’ or weaving emotions into songs like ‘Your Days Are Numbered’, he knows how to make listeners feel like he’s flipping through their own journals. That combination of humour and honesty is what makes Motion City Soundtrack so relatable, and it’s all over this record.
The closing title track ties everything together. It’s nostalgic but forward-facing, with massive instrumentals that collapse into Pierre alone with an acoustic guitar as feedback lingers in the air. When he sings, “I just want to separate the past from now,” it feels like both a mission statement and a victory lap.
At just over 30 minutes, the album flies by, and honestly, that’s part of its magic. The Same Old Wasted Wonderful World is short, sharp, and full of purpose. It’s not absolutely perfect, but was definitely worth the wait. This record proves that Motion City Soundtrack still has the energy, charm, and emotional honesty that made fans fall in love with them in the first place.
Cat Wiltshire
★★★★☆
