The Movement – One More Night
Track Listing:
1.) When the Feeling Goes Away
2.) Easy Love
3.) Something To Say
4.) Area
5.) Lonely at the Top
6.) Mr. Policeman
7.) REM
8.) Using My Head
9.) Across the Bridge
10.) One More Night
11.) I’m Gone
The Pier Album Rating:
Release Date: March 20, 2012
Official Website: The Movement’s Website
Group Background:
The Movement began in 2004 in Columbia, South Carolina. Although the band started as a duo, much like many other prosperous touring acts, two childhood friends came together to form a bond of the art of music. Now with Jordan Miller (guitar and vocals) as the lone founding member, the quartet has solidified their lineup with Jay Schmidt (bass), Gary Jackson (drums) and John Bowling (keyboard). With their previous release Set Sail in 2008, the band found their home on the road and nurtured their craft. After three-years of touring, writing and recording, the fruit of their labor is titled One More Night.
Album Review:
For the latest release from The Movement, expectations were raised with relentless touring following Set Sail. Songs from that album were etched into our memory with “Mexico”, “Habit” and the self-titled track “Set Sail.” One More Night follows a similar suit with front-loaded songs to grab the listeners’ attention.
Immediately, “When the Feeling Goes Away” highlights the piano talents of John Bowling. The hook within his notes sticks with you throughout the song. The piano opening for a few notes sounds eerily similar to the guitar riff from “Only For You” by Tomorrow’s Bad Seeds. Nonetheless, The Movement grabs your attention from the get go. For an opening track, the mood is set for the remaining ten tracks on the album.
Perhaps my favorite track on the entire album followed. “Easy Love” begins fairly murky and dim with the distorted electric guitar bars, as singer Jordan Miller verbalizes question after question of choices to make and look forward to. The song is perfectly formatted like a roller coaster ride with prime rising action as the chorus brings a triumphant feeling over the listener. Midway through the song, the entire band is thrashing on their instruments, before finishing the “Easy Love” roller-coaster ride.
The Movement has been one of the more prominent live acts throughout the reggae circuit, and have proven their acoustic talents many time on Moboogie Loft Sessions, and one song I was anticipating listening to the final album version was “Something To Say”. For an acoustic, stripped down version performed last year, the song was an instant hit. The album version blows the acoustic rendition out of the water, to compare. Much of The Movement’s recent success can be attributed to the rhythm section of Gary Jackson (drums) and Jay Schmidt (bass) solidifying the quartet in 2008. Although “Something To Say” is a lighter song at the start, throughout the entire track both Jackson and Schmidt are crisp. The dancehall breakdown only displays that sentiment further. The song is inspirational and the instruments paint the picture in an ideal fashion, but has a familiar sound to that of their older song “Set Sail”.
At this point, I was fully engaged in the album, but the song “Area” was almost like a wrong turn on the highway. I found myself in different area code than the previous three tracks. Although, the song is quite catchy, it felt out of place for a Reggae-Rock-type of album. The song was better suited for a dance club. Albums are all about testing limits and expanding boundaries. For this occasion, it was rather underwhelming for my taste. Luckily, “Lonely at the Top” brought back the bluesy-rock tone that fans have come to adore from The Movement. When the band is at their best has proven to be when Miller sings, and in this case, raps on songs as if he is reading from his daily journal. The reggae jams come through heavily, while meshing with the soulful blues intro and outro. At this stage, it is The Movement at their best.
From this point on, “Mr. Policeman” is song sure to set a few off. It shows the heavier side of the band, almost crossing over into the hard rock category, still mixing in those rap verses. Yet, inside the song, they remind the listener, “Don’t worry, we’re gonna be okay!” There is no worrying with The Movement, their sound is still intact, completely engulfed in the reggae sound. There was growth from their previous release Set Sail, but I was left with a desire for more. The latter half of the album consisted of familiar grooves with simple choruses. “One More Night” and “Across the Bridge” was the two tracks where that feeling really hit.
To finish the album with “I’m Gone” was a nice resolution to The Movement’s journey. There wasn’t much of a theme behind the album as a whole, but to place the track where they did was absolutely appropriate. With just an acoustic guitar and a voice that could travel miles, The Movement gave listeners a taste of all of their musical influences. By the time the album concludes, you’re probably going to want to start over from the first track. After that, you might have some instant favorites and some songs that are just OK. Once again, everyone will have their sing-a-long ready for The Movement’s next live performance.
Written & Reviewed By: Kris Siuta
[Editors Note: All reviews are reflective of the album in it’s entirety, from start to finish. These reviews are the honest opinion of each writer/reviewer, expressing their feedback as a genuine fan of the music. Each star rating reflects their review of the album, not the band. Music is subjective. Regardless of the review or star rating, we encourage you to listen to the music yourself & form your own opinion. Spread the awareness of all music in its art & contribution]
The Movement’s Official Music Video for “Something To Say”