Moving Units EP by Moving Units (Review)
I can honestly say that one of the best things about Moving Pictures is that it’s only 4 songs long. Now, I don’t mean that in a negative way, so the band can breathe a sigh of relief if they ever come across this review. The fact is that brevity is the soul of this record, a short, incredibly infectious set of songs that whets the appetite but never grows stagnant.
The band wastes no time at all, heading right for the jugular with “Between Us and Them.” Brittle guitar shards and shuffling, offbeat drumming constantly ricochet off of each other while the bassline refuses to sit still. Like a kid with ADD on a caffeine bender, it constantly bounces around trying to get your attention. The band’s basslines are its secret weapon, the element that really keeps the songs moving while the guitar and drums exchange volleys.
And did I mention they’re catchy as hell? Chances are, if you heard “Between Us and Them” first thing in the morning, its bassline would be stuck in your head well into the afternoon. Then there are the vocals, those wild yelps coated in AM radio static spitting out one word after another like an M60. I would suggest that the meaning of the lyrics is less important than the alliteration the words allow, which is as important to the album’s rhythm as the high hat.
When “I Am” starts, it sounds like the song has fallen apart before it even had a chance to begin. But within seconds, the band gets their second wind and finishes the EP at full tilt with “Melodrama” (which oddly sounds like U2’s “Surrender” given a jittery post-punk treatment). However, I wonder if Moving Units would be able to keep up the energy over a longer tracklist.
Much of the EP’s energy comes from the fact that these songs show up, get busy, and pack up and leave when they’re done. Clocking in at just under 15 minutes, the efficiency and immediacy of Moving Units is undeniable. But 40 or 50 minutes of this? Moving Units’ songs are high-strung and tightly wound. If you have any doubt, just listen to “Between Us and Them“ ‘s bassline again (and try not to get it stuck in your head for the next hour or so). But the challenge is going to be whether or not they can sustain it for the long haul should they ever release a full-length.