Oxford Collapse - Remember the Night Parties

There are three of them here, a guitarist, a bassist, and a drummer, and the first song on Remember the Night Parties sounds enough like “Return to Hot Chicken” from I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One to justify a sound ass beating. But the rest of the record is decidedly different, and The Dismemberment Plan, The Pixies, and Robert Pollard can argue over which one of them got listened to most during studio sessions (though they’d probably just make fun of Frank Black’s weight). But there’s a stubborn quality here that keeps Oxford Collapse interesting, a distinct sense of melody that unites their seemingly disparate circle of influences. This is what emo should be, or what it would be if it weren’t so slutty. “Forgot to Write” falls into Now It’s Overhead territory, “Lady Lawyers” stumbles over a particularly awkward delivery, but these are minor complaints. And when “Kenny Can’t Afford it” resists the temptation to be massive, letting the two minute build-up simmer under a polite “Penny Lane” inspired trumpet, it’s a twitchy premature ejaculation before the orgasm that is “Molasses.” Pretty fucking smart, frankly. I’ve heard worse. Hell, I listen to worse. [www.oxfordcollapse.com]