As we all know, I am not shy from a Movements release. With Feel Something being my favorite album of all time and No Good Left to Give holding a special place in my heart, I am always nervous for a new Movements release. Picture those nerves that make you kick your feet and give you butterflies in your tummy- I am always hoping for the best, and with those initial singles, I knew the heat was coming. 

RUCKUS! is energetic, witty, intelligent, groovy, and completely punk to the core. I find myself gravitating towards this album constantly. Although I am writing this review several months post-release, it provides me perspective as to the longevity it holds. 

Breaking down the elements: lyrics. Movements are top tier lyricists as we all know good and well, but who knew we would be getting lyrics that compete to be some of their best. Thinking of this, I am drawn to their first track “You’re One of Us Now.” They draw us in with the chanting of a crowd encouraging us to join in “join in the crowd, join in the ruckus…”, which we later hear as irony to the juxtaposition of the control they felt in different religious groups. They are subtly yet bluntly reading the institution like a cult. This is something that still blows my mind each time I listen to it. Another geeking moment for me is the lyricism in “I Hope You Choke!” On the onset, one might think this song is going to refer to physical choking, and yet we learn that the theme centers around choking on words. Like? Come on- poetry. And of course, we come to find this theme through their traditional spoken-word, witty refrains. 

Style. Movements has never been shy to establish different “eras” within their album releases. They’ve mentioned that they evolve as artists and the music they create matches it. With the release of their single “Cherry Thrill” before this record, it had us wondering if they would be moving more towards an Alternative-Rock sound opposed to the Punk-Grunge front we’ve heard before, and although we do get some of that in “AMP,” generally speaking, RUCKUS! Is probably the most diverse album we’ve gotten to date by the artist. For me, I take this as the marriage of their previous releases mixed with where they see their sound currently. It is evident that they have a refined instrumental sound as the production has smoother edges. The edgy tone to their selections come from the grit of their execution of instrumental lines and vocals. Selections like “Heaven Sent” and “Tightrope” surprised me upon first listen as they represent a softer side of the artist, while still retaining their characteristic approach to writing. The balancing of the different styles allows for levels of replay as there is a constant display of layers within the record. 

In some ways, I feel that RUCKUS! is some of Movements’ best work yet. The music production, the lyrics, the connection between tracks, the flow of the record itself lends us, the listeners, through a punk record that is refreshing in a time where innovation is fleeting. You already know- 5 out of 5 stars. 

*”RUCKUS!” was released on August 18th, 2023 through Fearless Records.