Oxford Collapse

Brooklyn’s Oxford Collapse must be chuffed, having officially graduated from the indie school of hard knocks to join the comparatively cushy ranks of Ivy League indie with Sub Pop. Their major junior debut is a bit like taking a tour through early ’80s to early ’90s American punk rock — Unwound might be just as much of an influence as Husker Dü. Remember the Night Parties is built on contradiction — ruddy, heart-on-sleeve exuberance is tempered by a veneer of skepticism and nervous riffage stretched taut over skewed time signatures give way unexpectedly to warm, gargantuan choruses. In this regard, the LP is definitely a grower, as early listens will try the patience of many a listener who will complain, with some justification, of its scattershot focus and tendency to meander. Truly, the aimless eight-minute stone-drone that is "Return of/ Bruno” quickly becomes tiresome. But patience will be rewarded, as the cryptic logic behind the awry song structures is gradually decoded. "Please Visit Your National Parks” is perhaps the sweetest reward, as driving buzz-saw riffs burn with all the tension of a lit fuse, before exploding in a hair-raising guitar roar, as impassioned singer Michael Pace wails in response. Pace sometimes relies a little too heavily on that all too reliable weapon of indie rock singers, the yelp, which on occasion sounds like it’s been stretched a little too thin. But then again, this trio certainly favour spontaneity and energy over polish (the production is decidedly no-frills) on a challenging record that finds some of its best moments through its mistakes.