Motion City Soundtrack

Earlier this year, this Minneapolis-based quintet gave us a three-song taste of what they were trying to accomplish with their music. But who knew that the greatness hinted at on that split EP would have resulted in this spectacular debut full-length. While paying homage to the angular post-punk and synth pop that has so obviously influenced them, they are able to break out of the confines of the "novelty" of trying to spark renewed interest in the Cars. With producer Ed Rose more than ably capturing the dynamic bounce of MCS's swirling and energetic songs, this 14-track release is destined to be one of the best debuts of the year in any genre. Think Superchunk meets the Cars with a slight touch of nerdy emo-rock and some great pop-culture references thrown in.