Oxford Collapse 'Remember the Night Parties' album

By the time Remember the Night Parties is released on October 10th, summer will be a recent halcyon memory, replaced by turning foliage and heavy sweaters. Don’t worry though, with this record, the warm weather goodness is going to come flooding back. Brooklyn, New York’s Oxford Collapse find themselves on good ground—in the past year, they’ve toured relentlessly with bands such as We Are Scientists, The Joggers, Part Chimp, The Narrator, and labelmates the Constantines, working full-time to put forth shambolic, electrifying performances. In an effort to capture the fever and spirit of all that time spent on the road, like fireflies in a jar, the band cut a quick single (“Decking the Classics” b/w “Packed Churches”), which was released by Version City Records in early 2006. From there, the band headed into the studio in June to work with acclaimed producer John Agnello (Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., The Hold Steady) for this, their Sub Pop debut.

Remember the Night Parties is their third full-length, after 2004’s Some Wilderness and 2005’s A Good Ground (both on Kanine Records). It’s a resplendent record, avoiding the obvious clichés typically associated with a band’s first foray into a high-end studio. Agnello’s supportive demeanor during production instilled confidence in the band to go about and engage in their usual collaborative processes. The end result is a record showcasing the band’s finely honed skill for composing catchy, earnest, guitar-based post-punk-pop—fundamental to the enduring appeal of Oxford Collapse.

From the welcoming rally call on opener “He’ll Paint While We Play,” through to the celebratory area code countdown of closer “In Your Volcano,” evocative images make up the metaphysical graffiti of Remember the Night Parties—rowdy, seasonal crowds at national parks, the visceral thrill of graduation, traversing sandy dunes, doing battle in the streets with cops and losers—even the title itself evokes the heady delights of the warmer months in the calendar year. This whirlwind of heat and flash is summed up perfectly by the band’s signature sound—a sustained, freewheeling nod to the great ghosts of American independent rock (fIREHOSE, Meat Puppets and Volcano Suns come to mind)—realized by the lean, nimble trio of guitarist Michael Pace, bassist Adam Rizer and drummer Dan Fetherston.

The transformation and growth abounding during the summer months mirrors the leaps and bounds made by the band in the last year. Remember the Night Parties fine-tunes the best parts of Oxford Collapse, sure to please old and new fans alike. The trademark vocal interplay between Pace and Rizer comes to the forefront here, acting as the perfect foil to the album’s lyrical vignettes crafted from concise everyday imagery. There’s no mistaking the taut vitriol of “Molasses” or the bizarre paean to rapper Ice Cube in “For the Khakis and the Sweatshirts.” While the band can still thrash with the best of them, they can also switch gears and turn on a dime for the crystalline evocation of “Let’s Vanish” or “Return of / Burno.” Dan Fetherston’s drumming provides a rhythmic depth, such as on “Kenny Can’t Afford It,” where the start/stop retro-military fills make the chorus of voices and trumpet sound downright ebullient. Michael Pace’s guitarwork has found new life here: in “Please Visit Your National Parks” the frantic picking seemingly bursts forth from every corner of the record, in calculated cacophony. In addition to his expressive bass lines and energetic vocals, Adam Rizer takes the lead on penultimate track “Forgot to Write”—a song rife with autumnal wistfulness; the first signal of colder climes to come. Before the chill sets in, let Oxford Collapse’s Remember the Night Parties help you return to warmer places.

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Oxford Collapse - Remember the Night Parties