EP Review: Browsing Collection - Don't Want To Dance

Sometimes I can't help but feel old. I know I'm not, but when it's hard not to have the thought in my mind when I come across an EP like this from Browsing Collective, who are all significantly younger than me, but playing a style of pop-influenced punk rock and roll that I was around to see take flight. Their influences have been around longer than some of them have, and since I can remember hearing albums like "Smash" back in the day, that makes me feel a bit like a fossil. I saw punk's edge erode into the mess Blink 182 left behind, and now that an entire generation has come up who cite that era as their influence, I don't know what to say.

The EP kicks off with "One Time A Year", which shows a more progressive side to the group than we often hear. While the song is still propelled by a punk ethos, there are hints of other styles that pop in, notably in the buildup to the chorus. In a way, they sound like a less pop-influenced version of Fall Out Boy, circa "Folie A Deux". The sound is big and polished, but still has a rough energy behind it that does a lot of good.

"Something To Hold On To" is even faster and more ragged, but the production does wonders to make sure the song has a brightness and sheen to it that doesn't require a trained punk ear to appreciate. Clean recordings can sometimes be too sterile, but for a group that is trying to showcase their attitude, it works to their benefit, letting them straddle the line between accessible and stand-offish.

"Hi But No" is the best track on the EP, with a hook that retains its punk DNA, but has a solid dose of pop to it. Not pop in the way that The All American Rejects started out as, but pop in the Ramones way, where the song is memorable without sounding like they're trying too hard to make it happen. That fault is far more prevalent than it should be, and it has ruined many bands *cough*Opeth*cough*.

Then we get "Oh, Sweet Sire", which changes things drastically. It is a Sabbath inspired doom track, with guitars that recall the evil flat-fifth, and a pace that crawls along for maximum darkness. It really does sound like a punk take on one of the slower Dio-era Sabbath tunes. That's not a bad thing, but it does sound a bit out of place between two pop-leaning tracks, as "Thank God It's Friday" follows with another energetic sing-along. I'm all for having some diversity on a record, but sometimes the experiments don't quite sound like they belong where they do. Perhaps it's as simple as putting it as the last track instead.

"The Story That Never Ends" is also a bit slower, but it has a hook that lets the pacing build into, so there is a cathartic moment when it comes. It shows the difference between pace and tone. You can drop one, the other, or both, and get different results. So after we finish these six tracks, the verdict is pretty simple. Browsing Collection bears some resemblance to The Warning, but as everything I've heard from their upcoming effort has been an indication of a band lost in the wilderness of the creative process, "Don't Want To Dance" is the right alternative. They've got something here, that's for sure.