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Almost from the very beginning, pop/rock's more memorable compositions have been a sure-fire combination of driving beats, catchy lyrics, and heartfelt vocals--all tied firmly to a sturdy melodic foundation. The Slate, the second EP from Pennsylvania's Movies with Heroes, succeeds nicely on several of these counts. 

The frenetic, U2-inspired guitar runs and highly rhythmic vocal technique of "Dirty History" (I know you say you're feeling good/ I guess that's fine/ When you're not feeling so good/ How does your light shine?) combine for a particularly striking effect.  Likewise, the stream-of-consciousness narration and dexterous use of irony on "Screenplay" mesh seamlessly with the song's languishing pace and emotive subject matter.  And the  album's standout track, "Hurricanes and Runways," weds the melodic, guitar-driven modern rock of Fono and the Foo Fighters to an unapologetically scathing viewpoint (This is what you'll see on the streets this fall/ What will the kids be wearing?/ Meanwhile the wind and waves are tearing up the coast/ Why are animal prints so big this spring?) to provide one of the more thought-provoking essays on materialism in recent recollection.

But, while the new EP exhibits a greater sense of melody and is more accessible than any of the group's previous efforts, the gains made by its instrumental and lyrical sections are largely muted by its weak vocal work.  In fairness, Keith Wilson's lead vocals are both brisk and earnest and his quirky, David Byrne-like mannerisms instill each of the tracks with a significant portion of their infectious vitality.  Nonetheless,  it becomes increasingly difficult as the album wears on to push past the out-of-tune vocals that blanket the effort--with the task becoming all the more daunting when harmony vocals are added to the equation. That said, The Slate is still, by and large, a respectable piece of work that displays Movies with Heroes' ever-tightening grip on its distinctive brand of poignant, hook-heavy, modern rock.  As infectious and insightful as the release is, a consistently stronger set of vocals would no doubt have served to elevate the fine second EP to truly impressive status.

Bert Gangl 5/19/2001

This is a decent disc from the Lancaster, PA band, but it paves no new ground.  Most of the album is pretty standard indie rock/emo fare, not too far off from their earlier work.  Fans of emo will recognize, at once, the traditional emo vocals and guitars. 

The first song, "Hurricanes and Runaways" juxtaposes Hurricane Floyd with perceptions of the fashion world, pointing out the absurdity of our superficial culture.  In fact, it is the lyrics and the topics addressed in them that make this album interesting.  On the surface, "Dirty History" is a song about relationships, but it digs even deeper with lines like "When you're not feeling so good, how does your light shine?  I know you miss the light.  Let it in please."

The most interesting song on the disc is "Screenplay (Movies with Heroes)" which is a mellower more laid back approach to the group's sound.  This is a direction the band should consider exploring more often as they grow and seek to develop a more distinctive sound.

Ken Mueller 5/19/2001

This five song ep is my introduction to the Pennsylvania based group that goes by the name "Movies With Heroes." The quartet consists of  Keith Wilson on vocals, guitars and lyrics, Jeff Royer on bass guitar and vocals, John Donahue on guitar, french horn and keyboard and Jeremy E. Bentley on drums. Although short in length, this disc is very impressive in quality and content. Production was handled by the band along with Jay Sorrentino and Greg Williamson with layout design by Scott Hatch of Burnt Toast Vinyl. Falling into the somewhat nebulous category of modern rock, these guys made enough of an impression on me that I will definitely check them out at Purple Door in August You can reach them at their web site www.movieswithheroes.com

Chris MacIntosh aka Grandfather Rock 5/20/01