Mobile: Tomorrow Starts Today

Emo is the new cock rock. These two forms of music, which began as underground avant-garde experiments, have both been exploited, commercialized and bastardized by countless herds of suburban youth desperately trying to cling onto the next new thing and claim it their as own, first in the ’80s and now in the ’00s. Mobile’s polished brand of angular, emotional rock music received accolades in their homeland of Canada when they launched onto the scene in 2006. But now Mobile is stepping onto the international stage, nearly two years later, and attempting to impress an audience already predisposed to avoid predictable power pop. The release date for Tomorrow Starts Today has been pushed back to August 21st, and I don’t think too many impressionable young minds are eagerly awaiting its release — but hey, you never know. “Montreal Calling” gives a promising start to this beleaguered release. The upbeat, pop rock nature recalls The Killers at their finest. But this French Canadian outfit just can’t keep up the pace as the album quickly descends into the bowels of pop rock mediocrity. “Dusting Down the Stars” is a honest attempt at a melodramatic power pop á la Chris Martin. It’s pretty, just doesn’t make the cut. Nice try guys… next!