In The Drink

EPITAPH / COOKING VINYL

The debut solo album from one of poprock’s most inimitable voices is short, sweet and, in true Justin Courtney Pierre style, ridiculously fun. The exMotion City Soundtrack frontman dives deep into his nostalgic influences, hints of everything from Weezer to Pavement shining through in this ‘90s powerpop fever dream. And though fans of MCS will find that Pierre still plays to a lot of his old strengths, there’s a newfound looseness to the way he throws youthful hooks, gurgling basslines and lashings of crumbly distortion at the wall; like he’s not trying as hard to impress us, but by proxy, impressing us more than those last few prehiatus records did by a long stretch. All that’s needed now are some hyperactive live shows to match!