14 years. That’s nearly a decade and a half you know. That’s how long it has been since The Movielife released their stone-cold classic ‘Forty Hour Train Back To Penn’. Now the band are back at it full time, and with the release of their new album ‘Cities In Search Of A Heart’ is upon us, it’s time to ask the big question. Have they still got the spark that propelled them to stardom all those years ago? You better bloody believe it.
The most endearing thing about this album is how it’s so much more than just a case of picking up where the band left off when they split first time round. It brings together all the elements that made the band as legendary as they are and moulds them with the lessons that each of the members have picked up over the years of doing their own things. It’s nostalgic yet utterly refreshing. Battering yet heartfelt.
From the flash in the pan grittiness of ‘Ski Mask’ through to the slow-burning brilliance of ‘Hearts’, this is a record that’s been crafted to be cherished. It’s a record that will stick with you for years to come. It’s a record that you will come back to time and time again and become even more infatuated with each time. It’s powerful, punishing and as close to emotional perfection as you can get.
The Movielife are back in a huge way. With a legacy as jewel-encrusted as the one that have they have forged, it was always going to be tough to live up to expectations. Though when you have an album with the bite, scope and intensity of ‘Cities In Search Of A Heart’ in your arsenal, you’re always going to be absolutely fine. Here’s to the next chapter.
4/5
‘Cities In Search Of A Heart’ by The Movielife is out now on Rise Records.
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Words by Jack Rogers (@JackMRog)
