8/10
So-Cal post-hardcore group Movements are here to spice up our collective feelings of isolation with their sophomore full-length No Good Left To Give, an emotional examination of love and loss.
The first thing that captures my attention is Patrick Miranda’s voice, melancholic yet not too whiny. He has excellent control of his melody, often going into the higher registers during a chorus. It always sounds like his voice is about to crack into a scream with every high note, but never does. The only time he does scream is in the bridge of “Tunnel Vision,” yet it doesn’t seem completely divorced from his clean voice. I am by no means an aficionado of his vocal style, but if I had to compare it to anyone else, I would choose the late Chester Bennington. Especially when watching the music video for their single “Don’t Give Up Your Ghost,” I found it very reminiscent of the animated metropolis in Linkin Park’s music video for “Breaking the Habit.” Miranda goes into a spoken word segment in “Moonlight Lines,” this time, sounding a lot like the heart-wrenching vocal style of Jeremy Bolm from Touché Amoré.
As for the instruments, Ira George uses a soft and dreamy tone on his guitar, gently plucking at the strings. As a result, Austin Cressey’s bass is quite prominent throughout, never inaudible or drowned out by the guitar distortion like so many other bassists. Drummer Spencer York is the main reason for qualifying the band as vaguely hardcore, hitting the drums with power and determination, despite the mellow nature of the songs.
Listening to No Good Left To Give isn’t meant to be entertaining or invigorating. Rather, it puts you in a mood that forces you to confront inner traumas and repressed feelings. It can be depressive, but it’s also optimistic. It paints sitting with your sadness as necessary on your journey to a better life. I wouldn’t recommend repeated plays, since it’s not healthy to wallow in these kinds of feelings. It’s more for the occasional listen when experiencing a low point, in order to achieve catharsis.
Written by Chris Aitkens
*Edited by Dominic Abate
Be the first to comment