"WCYF", Collider
"WCYF", Collider
Collider is one of many modern punk/pop/garage bands that have returned to the basics with uncomplicated songs and lyrics. The quartet is hard to classify; even the cover shows guitarist Sean Gould wearing a tie (new wave look?), lead singer Jed Davis with a shaven head dressed in black (punk?), drummer Joe Abbotantuano with a skullcap (hip hop?) and bassist Mike Keaney looking like a Gap ad. This six-song EP displays a bit of all these influences.
The one thing that makes this group stand out from the pack is good songwriting. “WCYF” is a high energy package that weaves all the band’s influences into a seamless whole.
The EP is dedicated to Joey Ramone. “1991” has a Ramones influence in its stripped-down sound, although it is more pop than punk. “If They Don’t Come Back” continues the theme of teen angst with the singer explaining “all those things he said in the parking lot on lunch break.”
“Mock Cheer” is a pop punk confection about the “world’s biggest dork” and rock music. “God Bless Us Anyway” mixes rap and punk with what might (or might not) be a satirical salute to all the people who will listen to this CD (“This is for the waitresses slaving on the night shift at Denny’s”).
“I Built a Bunker for the Aftermath” is an undistinguished break-up song. “Say Yeah” sounds most like the Ramones, with simple power chords and fast-paced, simple lyrics about homework and the high school dance. C.J. Ramone evens opens the tune with a count of “1-2-3-4.” And as a bonus, Tommy Ramone produces the disk.
I don’t know how much call there is for a Ramones-influenced band these days, especially from guys who look like they are years past their high school days. But if there is, Collider deserves to be the one to fill the vacancy left by Joey and the others.
- Dave Howell
(This article first appeared in the FMSound music site.)
Collider is one of many modern punk/pop/garage bands that have returned to the basics with uncomplicated songs and lyrics. The quartet is hard to classify; even the cover shows guitarist Sean Gould wearing a tie (new wave look?), lead singer Jed Davis with a shaven head dressed in black (punk?), drummer Joe Abbotantuano with a skullcap (hip hop?) and bassist Mike Keaney looking like a Gap ad. This six-song EP displays a bit of all these influences.
The one thing that makes this group stand out from the pack is good songwriting. “WCYF” is a high energy package that weaves all the band’s influences into a seamless whole.
The EP is dedicated to Joey Ramone. “1991” has a Ramones influence in its stripped-down sound, although it is more pop than punk. “If They Don’t Come Back” continues the theme of teen angst with the singer explaining “all those things he said in the parking lot on lunch break.”
“Mock Cheer” is a pop punk confection about the “world’s biggest dork” and rock music. “God Bless Us Anyway” mixes rap and punk with what might (or might not) be a satirical salute to all the people who will listen to this CD (“This is for the waitresses slaving on the night shift at Denny’s”).
“I Built a Bunker for the Aftermath” is an undistinguished break-up song. “Say Yeah” sounds most like the Ramones, with simple power chords and fast-paced, simple lyrics about homework and the high school dance. C.J. Ramone evens opens the tune with a count of “1-2-3-4.” And as a bonus, Tommy Ramone produces the disk.
I don’t know how much call there is for a Ramones-influenced band these days, especially from guys who look like they are years past their high school days. But if there is, Collider deserves to be the one to fill the vacancy left by Joey and the others.
- Dave Howell
(This article first appeared in the FMSound music site.)