The Movielife
…Has a Gambling Problem
Drive-Thru
Pet peeve #264: Anticipating the release of a new album and then being disappointed by it…
After loving The Movielife’s first two full-length albums, This Time Next Year and It’s Go Time!, I could not wait to get my hands on their new EP …Has a Gambling Problem. Immediately, the opening track, “Walking On Glass” lives up to the promise of the group’s previous releases. But don’t get too excited, the next four songs reveal that TMovielife have not topped their earlier albums; in fact, the EP does not come close in any respect. Movielife fans have come to expect highly original rhythms and an orgy of musical styles that leave you close to breathless. …Has a Gambling Problem sounds as though a generic punk band has abducted and brutally destroyed The Movielife’s talent.
It is hard to believe that singer Vinnie Caruana is the same person who not long ago wrote such honest lyrics as: “Feeling dead/The weight on my head is draining me/The Monday skies are oversized in the strangest way/I need you here more than you know.” He now resorts to such meaningless and flat lyrics as: “Man I’ll never understand/Everyone’s livin’ in the past/Instead of forgetting her/You’re always kissing her ass.” Wow, deep Vinnie, real deep.
There are, however, two high points to …Has a Gambling Problem. The first, as I mentioned before, is the opening track, “Walking On Glass.” This song is similar both in style and lyrics to previous Movielife releases. Although it is not a step forward for the band, it maintains the same high standards fans have come to expect of them. The second high point would have to be about ten minutes into the EP, or in other words, when it’s over. … Has a Gambling Problem is flat, boring, and is pretty much a “typical” punk album. If The Movielife had released this EP three years ago, I would not have had a problem with it. Yet, considering the fact they have already released two full-length albums which were both original, fun, and extremely enjoyable, I can honestly say that The Movielife has regressed with …Has a Gambling Problem.
The Movielife normally put on an incredible live show. Perhaps they would have been better off releasing a live album, rather than a ten-minute waste of time and money. If anything, go to mp3.com and download “Walking On Glass,” and as for the rest of the EP, do not even bother.
We can only hope that …Has a Gambling Problem is just a temporarily lapse in talent from The Movielife. They are too good of a band to let themselves remain off track. Instead of buying the EP, I suggest checking out one or both of their earlier albums to tide you over until their next full-length release.
The Movielife: http://www.themovielife.com
