Orange County quartet Movements released their third full-length album “Ruckus!” which brings the genres of shoegaze, pop-punk, and grunge to life.
In the lead-up to the release, the band flexed their creativity by releasing singles “Lead Pipe,” “Killing Time,” and “Fail You”. These singles were released months before the album and showed that the band was back and with more of their original post-hardcore sound.
To open the album, the first track starts with a continuous chant of “Follow the sound, you just have to trust it/Join in the crowd, joining in the ruckus,” before the indoctrinating guitar riff of “You’re One of Us Now” introduces the band and their new project. Personally, this is one of the strongest opening tracks that Movements has ever produced. It’s so lively and feels like the introduction of an album compared to their previous album openings that could stand alone as singles. The swell of the drums and the bass line gives listeners a moment to anticipate the song that is about to play. This track alone gives non-fans enough of a reason to understand why Movements has such an established fanbase and why they rarely stray far away from them.
The emotions of this release swing back and forth between limerence and frustration, with an example of the former being “Heaven Sent” and “Tightrope.” These two tracks walk through the gut-churning feelings that come along with one’s first love and its kinder treatment of a couple that is newly in love.
“Heaven Sent” stands out sonically as it is lighter and dreamier than the rest of the album. As the band did with their previous single “Cherry Thrill”, the band stepped out and experimented with mixing pop elements into their original sound and style. Frontman Patrick Miranda’s vocals croon on about exploring the newness of a relationship, while adding in what seems to be personal experiences as he talks about being overseas in a cafe and how he’ll drop whatever he’s doing to go back home to his lover. The guitars and drums on this song are infectious and feel reminiscent of floating while on an emotional high.
The switch to “Tightrope” offers listeners a somber flip side of affectionate emotions. The beginning of the song is very dreary with piano chords periodically echoing and playing as Miranda sings melodically over them. By the second verse, the drums and guitars come in and carry the song to a contrasting soundscape from the first. This song is very different for the band production-wise as their songs are admittedly very depressing, but they never have the softness that this song offers. It is a poppy ballad that is new and impressive from Movements and I hope they make more songs like this in their future projects.
Tracks six and eight are my personal favorites of this project. “I Hope You Choke!” is a very tongue-in-cheek song that seems to be a calculated hit to someone who has wronged Miranda or the band. The irony of the backing vocal track chanting “I hope you choke, I hope you choke” with a sarcastic tone dripping from the melody hits so hard with the placement of this song as it is a complete 180 from “Tightrope”. The instrumental is aggressive and repetitive with grungy bass and drum lines and strong power chords from the guitars.
“A.M.P.” is the catchiest song on the album. This earworm delves into the complexities of seeking validation from others and how dangerous that can be. The chorus of this track has a catchy tempo to it while Miranda sings “You wear attention like it’s perfume/And you’re the highest in the whole room/So tell me why you’re leaving so soon/Nobody knows you but they want to/You know they want you”. The strings and percussions of this song have a radio-rock approach in production, but this song will keep listeners on their feet.
“Dance With Death” is for the original Movements fan as it is so similar to a lot of the songs from the band’s 2017 album “Feel Something”. The bass lines, the drums and the guitar all call back to the sound a lot of fans associate with their older music and the subject matter of exploring the recklessness that comes with risky behaviors and their consequences is a similar narrative of their older releases.
To wrap up this release “Coeur D’Alene” is a vulnerable and emotional reflection on a deep romantic connection. It acts as a resolution to the constant back-and-forth of frustration and love and shows the protagonist in this story surrendering to their feelings. The commitment in these lyrics can make anyone’s heart flutter at the thought of someone repeating “Your fight is my fight” and “Your life is my life” like Miranda does throughout the track.
“Ruckus!” is an exciting new release from Movements that delivers a phenomenal performance from the quartet in every aspect. They take you on an emotional journey of struggle and resilience with different styles of writing and producing that make this album refreshing to old and new fans alike.
