IN REVIEW: The Motorleague - "Holding Patterns"

With 2013's Acknowledge, Acknowledge, The Motorleague made good on years of hard work and heavy touring with an energetic, punk-leaning record with a few surprises; splashes of acoustic east coast flavour (Oh, How the Mighty Have Fallen), groove-heavy rock (We Are All Going Directly to Hell), and even a little indie rock (Burned in Effigy) found their way into the core sound of the record. However, for me it was the incendiary post-grunge screamer Failsafes that hit hardest; given a few spins, that song stuck out from the pack thanks to its intensity and its catchiness in equal measure. More than any other song on that record, Failsafes married melody and force in a way that made it a clear favourite of mine, for not just the album but indeed the year itself.

Having earned a higher national profile thanks to Canadian major distribution and more hard miles on the road, The Motorleague went into Holding Patterns sessions with a higher profile producer in Eric Ratz (the man at the boards for albums by Cancer Bats, Billy Talent and Monster Truck, among others). It was a wise move, as the result is a thicker, cleaner sounding effort.

The Motorleague don't have any wild detours in store for fans, but what they do have is an overall more varied and accessible record than Acknowledge, Acknowledge; the grooves are upfront on opening track and lead single The Boards, which recalls Monster Truck while bearing the harmonic stamp that stands as The Motorleague's most improved characteristic on this record. The choruses are sharper and bigger on Holding Patterns than they've ever been for this band, as evidenced strongly on the pop-punk fist pumper For the Last Time Forever, the smoldering near-ballad Burn Everything, the grungy arena rocker Take Like You're Giving and the muscly power popper Don't Look Away.

Perhaps the album's most effective overall track, though, is Wounded Animal; taking a cue from the recent success of bands like Royal Blood while piling on harmonies and combining them into a formidable rocker that occupies the middle ground between the album's most intense and melodic moments. It screams out for future single consideration, if not for the fact that the four other non-singles I mentioned in the paragraph above would all sound great on rock radio too.

That's not to say that Holding Patterns is a cold, calculated bid at airplay, it's just that this is where The Motorleague's talents have taken them. Nothing on the record feels like a concession in any way, rather refinements in the craft that come with years of playing together and the guidance of a proven veteran producer. It's also got enough variance in tone and tempo throughout to ensure a consistently engaging album experience. A few tracks don't quite provide the same endorphin rush as the rest, but any negative effects they have on the whole are minimal. Holding Patterns is a tight, concise and thoroughly enjoyable record from a band that's rightfully extended their reach far beyond the Maritimes.

October 16, 2015 • Sonic/Warner
Highlights The Boards • Wounded Animal • For the Last Time Forever

Year in Rock 2025

Alright, I've got some explaining to do. By now anyone who's visited this blog is well aware of how infrequently I've used this space in recent years; aside from the occasional fertile year of content, I really haven't posted all that often over the last five years or so. There are many reasons for this, which have already been outlined in previous apology posts; but, essentially, it boils down to my own laziness and the cold reality that blogs are, like Refused (again), fucking dead. So, I wouldn't hold my breath for a triumphant return to reviews, or even semi-regular posts, but: a) I feel like Year in Rock posts have always belonged here and, even though I've experimented with different methods of presentation recently and been satisfied, the "blink and you missed it" unveiling via Facebook stories this year was perhaps ultimately a disservice to the records I lauded. After all, cramming the list into short videos isn't too far off from ju...

Year in Rock 2013 Nominee: Arctic Monkeys

ARCTIC MONKEYS Do I Wanna Know? From: AM Released: September 10 That Year in Rock 2012's Single of the Year R U Mine? ended up on this album is pleasing, and it fits the motif well enough. But R U Mine? isn't what makes Arctic Monkeys' fifth album an Album of the Year contender. Sweaty, sultry and pulsing with sexual energy, AM is the kind of record that's just as effective whether you're chilling out after a long day, staring into a mirror prepping yourself for a late night clubbing session or setting the mood for some escapades in the boudoir.

Year in Rock 2023: Album of the Year #10-1

Now we're getting somewhere; the top ten, where there are no duds or mids, only bangers. Also, no more teasing it out; let's wrap this up! What I've learned this year from my ten faves this year is that it is indeed still possible for a dude approaching his fifties to more or less stay up to date on the new school. Of course, there are some listed here that got a boost from playing tribute to the old school, but there is an undercurrent happening in rock that points to the future. But, I'm getting ahead of myself; here come the champs. 10 MILITARIE GUN Life Under the Gun June 23, 2023 • Loma Vista Highlights Very High Will Logic Never Fucked Up Once Rising from the ranks of the still-potent L.A. hardcore scene, the debut record from Militarie Gun (following a trio of EPs) bears a dash of polish that's expected with backing from a larger label; the tension and energy remain, though, resulting in one of the catchiest hardcore albums I can think of in recent years. 9 ...

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