Local Record Review: 'Move Like Music' by Move Like Music

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Move Like Music

Move Like Music EP

movelikemusic.bandcamp.com

Move Like Music have been doing their thing for a little bit now, with their debut EP originally coming out back in April, so it's a bit of catchup on our part here–not surprising given the flood of material that's out there from everyone (and we thank you, makes our job fun).

The quartet is, if nothing else, not shy about where they're coming from; when the group's own Bandcamp page lists local and distant heroes such as Thrice, Avenged Sevenfold, the Deftones and the Foo Fighters, it's not too far of a stretch to guess what the five songs on here sound like and would sound good at, say at next year's US Open of Surfing.

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Dream Theater's also mentioned by the group and there's a bit of that band's cryptoprog yank-em crank-em guitars in songs like “Gonna Get Your Way” and tempo shifts in a song like “Savor.”

Meanwhile, singer Ryan Olivieri's higher-pitched and bravura tones equally straddle the line between taking command and desperately searching for something, perfectly suited for the material.  The whole thing feels like a mélange of the past 20 years, everything from grunge anthemics to emo-as-arena rock to even a fleck of nu-metal as well (the Deftones citation by the band isn't made by accident).

All five songs are starting points rather than distinct marks for the future, but credit the band for definitely sounding sharp–the self-production throughout is slick and clear enough that it could go straight onto KROQ without a second's hesitation and without anyone noting the difference. 

“Famous Last Words,” with its stuttering, demi-industrial/metal break in particular, might be the standout here–but one suspects they'll have more to show next time through the studio.

Move Like Music plays DiPiazza's in Long Beach this Saturday, August 20th.

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