The Movielife – Cities in Search of a Heart (Rise Records)

Genre – Punk

14 years fans have been made to wait for a new Movielife album. Front man Vinnie Caruana has seen involved in a number of projects since The Movielife’s 2003 seminal album 40 Hour Train Back To Penn, and his experiences have only made him stronger.

Cities in Search of a Heart explodes out of the traps with Ski Mark. This short, ferocious punk number is a flood of hard hitting drums and thrashing riffs with Caruana’s vocals supporting this sonic focused intro.

Much like Caruana, fellow songwriter Brandon Reilly has grown up in the last 14 years. He’s had his own experiences and he’s brought them to the table too. This combined maturity has led to a more polished song writing style that is both inspired and energised.

Tracks like Mercy Is Asleep at the Wheel and Ghosts in Photographs ring of maturity, while Sister Saint Monica brings the pop punk element to the party. This contrast flows effortlessly, but shows that the pair still have youth in their hearts, no matter how far they stroll down the path of adulthood.

Vinnie’s solo career saw him focus on folk punk, taking his acoustic guitar on the road and writing some great tunes. This experience comes through in Pour Two Glasses, a soppy, uplifting love song with a chorus of ‘I’m not coming home for Christmas; I’m coming home for you.’

Fans that have been around from their Long Island hardcore days, may be slightly disappointed that there isn’t as much heavy stuff as they’d like. Tracks like Laugh Ourselves to Death and You’re The Cure offer plenty of energy and strained, raspy vocals, but these brilliant numbers are as heavy as it gets for hardcore fans.

Cities in Search of a Heart has proved itself to be more than worth the wait. It packs all the punch of a modern punk rock album and is refreshingly current. Reilly and Caruana don’t try to rehash what’s been done before, nor do they try to be 16 again. That ship has sailed and they’ve embraced their experience and the abilities that it has brought with it. Fans will not be disappointed.

RUSHONROCK RATED – 9/10 Turn the volume up and have a pogo – The Movielife are back!

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