With all the personal issues that vocalist and guitarist Justin Pierre has faced over the course of his life, it’s sometimes hard to believe that Motion City Soundtrack remains a band. With the addictions and relapses plaguing Pierre, the band should have been extinct years ago. But having a great support system around him and a musical outlet has helped Pierre and his band mates release stellar album after album. You would think that eventually things would spin out of control, especially after the lukewarm reception their last offering (2007’s Even If It Kills Me) received from fans. It definitely was more poppy than previous releases, and instead of tailspinning, the Minneapolis quintet landed right back on its feet to record their Columbia Records debut.

Here we are again, Motion City Soundtrack and I. Our sizzling nerd sex is back with their third Epitaph release, Even If It Kills Me. Of course, the question here is not if the performance will be up to par. The question here is whether it will blow me out of the water, in which Justin Pierre and crew are certainly capable. I Am The Movie is justifiably priceless and Commit This To Memory is a careful and successful step into a growing style and sound. When I first heard Even If It Kills Me, I felt the hooks, felt the clever shapes, and felt what could be, but it needed to grow. Now, moments away from release day, MCS are wrapping their vines around my ankles and reeling me in like a helpless fish. What a turn-on.

Having garnered much praise and acclaim for their Moog-laced, high-octane, pop-tinged, full length debut I Am the Movie, expectations for Motion City Soundtrack’s follow-up, Commit This to Memory, were astronomically high, especially with Mark Hoppus of Blink 182 fame on board as producer. So, with all the build-up and the big name attached to the project, did Motion City Soundtrack deliver? Absolutely, and then some.