Here’s a band with some pull. I don’t know if it’s the awkward distorted guitar that fools around with high pitched squeals, as you can find on their hit single and video “Soap Opera”, or the shallow yet pillowing beat of the drums that caught my attention, but it’s safe to say that Motocade has some kind of allure. Maybe it’s the echo of Vampire Weekend and Hot Hot Heat in the vocals that’s troubling my gentle mind or maybe, just maybe, they’re an interesting band.
Nevertheless, going through such tracks as “Bill Murray Fan Club”, which I find to be a very c
lever song title, there’s an idea that hits me: there’s a collage of different bands here. This isn’t necessarily a “bad thing”, I just find it amazing how they could collaborate all these different yet appealing sounds into one unit. It’s as if The Strokes, Bloc Party, Hot Hot Heat, Vampire Weekend, and even the Kaiser Chiefs attended an overwhelming and exhaustive orgy, birthing Motocade, which is a brilliant name.
From what I have heard off their independent record, Into the Fall, Motocade is downright aggressive and in your face. It’s this flawless energy that ignites the band. But let’s step back a moment. As it’s the case in most of my reviews, there’s a “pendulum” I work with, where I tell you both the good and the bad of a band. Given my aforementioned positive enthusiasm, let’s get down to the nitty gritty.
In the song “My Friends”, I get lost when vocalist Eden Mulholland begins to speak in monotone, “My friends think I’m stupid for liking you/ but I like you/ I like you.” While this band thrives on simplicity, it gets old when he regurgitates a lyric three times, which eventually kills the entire mood of the song. Another vague complaint I have of this record, which is minor, is that these songs mold together too often. If I didn’t glance at the track list every three minutes or so, I would have thought that it was one elongated song. While many bands do this successfully, it’s not one of Motocade’s strengths, especially considering they have a single, distinctive sound. In fact, it makes me wonder, what’s in store for us in their sophomore release? Therein lies a challenge.
Let’s try and leave this article on a lighter note, shall we? Criticism aside, Motocade is well worth your time and I highly recommended checking them out, as well as their intriguing, new music video, “Soap Opera”, which you can find here.
Check Out:
“Soap Opera”