It’s official: Motion City Soundtrack are back with their first album in ten years. The Same Old Wasted Wonderful World is out today via Epitaph Records, and it’s everything fans could’ve hoped for from the Minneapolis pop-punk icons — a mix of jittery charm, heartfelt hooks, and the kind of honesty that made them legends in the first place.
For a band that closed out their original run in 2016, few expected them to come roaring back with a full-length. But here we are, a decade on from Panic Stations, with eleven brand-new tracks that prove Motion City Soundtrack haven’t lost their magic. Instead of leaning too hard on nostalgia, this record pushes them into fresh territory while still tapping into that neurotic, self-aware spark that’s always been their secret weapon.
The album was recorded with longtime producer Sean O’Keefe at Chicago’s famed Electrical Audio, and it features some special guests too — including Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump (who co-wrote Particle Physics), Citizen’s Mat Kerekes, and Deanna Belos of Sincere Engineer. From the buzzing energy of Some Wear a Dark Heart to the reflective title track, the record feels like a band both reconnecting with their roots and writing a brand-new chapter.
Frontman Justin Pierre has been open about how different this album feels compared to their past work, admitting that while so many of their old songs were about confusion and doubt, this one comes from a place of clarity. “I figured it out,” he says. That sense of self-discovery runs through the whole record, making it one of the most confident releases in their catalog.
Whether you’ve been spinning Commit This to Memory since 2005 or you’re just discovering Motion City Soundtrack for the first time, The Same Old Wasted Wonderful World is the kind of comeback that feels less like a reunion and more like a fresh start. The band are back, the album is out, and it’s safe to say the wasted wonderful world just got a whole lot brighter.
Tickets for their upcoming shows can be found on the band’s official site, and trust us — these new songs are going to sound massive live.
