Moving Units - Dangerous Dreams

Genre rock Publisher RX Records/Palm Pictures External Links Moving Units RX Records

It's one thing to be formulaic. Listeners might complain that the third song sounds the same as the fifth song, which sounds the same as the ninth song. However, it is a whole other situation when you are formulaic and completely rip off the sound of other bands that kind of rip off the sound of other bands. And do it poorly. Are you still with me? Dangerous Dreams, the debut album from aspiring rock stars Moving Units sounds at all times like something you've heard before.

Every song on the album contains a bass line or guitar chord that would fit in on the recent Franz Ferdinand album. Except for the fact that the lads in Franz Ferdinand don't make music that seems quite this forced. From the start of "Emancipation" it's obvious Moving Units hope to achieve status along with any other band that happen to have the word "The" at the start of their name. The lead singer shouts, "You can control me, I am your slave" like Julian Casablancas wearing a clothes pin on his nose. "Between Us & Them" has the band debating whether to come off more like Interpol or hope for something as instantly gratifying as The Strokes. Therein lies the problem throughout Dangerous Dreams, but especially highlighted in the opening trio, the band lacks a sound all their own.

"Unpersuaded" is one of the few enjoyable moments on the album, but I'm not even sure if unpersuaded is an actual word. Nevertheless, it describes my feelings about ever playing this album again. The song segues into a "dark" period of the album as the band incorporates more electronics in the music. It's a dramatic shift from the previous tracks and one can assume they were either jamming to The Rapture or The Postal Service when they decided to lay down the music to "Anyone" or "Scars." The latter being an intense interchange between the drumming and lyrics.

The music is played with a sense of urgency on "Birds of Prey" coming equipped with screams of frustration and yelps for help. But still falls short of creating something that sounds like a Moving Units song. By closer "Turn Away" the band shows signs of boredom with their sound as now the lyrics are softly sung over repeated strumming. It is kind of like when you are comfortably at peace in bed but the dripping from the bathroom faucet is keeping you from absolute tranquility. You have to get up and just turn the fucking thing off.

I can only assume that the band thought by sounding like everyone else they would sell a trunk load of albums. Hence, the name Moving Units. It all just seems a little too calculated for my likes. But then, perhaps out of all this confusion the band will reevaluate where they are going. And eventually record a song they can call their own.