There’s a lot of talk about the UK’s Collateral at the moment and this their debut EP – “4 Shots” is the first chance those of us outside of the UK have has to see what all the fuss is about. I must admit I’ve sat on this EP for longer than I normally would before reviewing just to see what others were thinking. A lot of press overseas is talking the band up as a take on “80’s Classic Rock” (whatever that may be) and as successors to the “Sunset Strip sound” of the late eighties and as successors to bands like Bon Jovi, Def Leppard , Motley Crue and Whitesnake. I must admit I don’t quite see it that way, though visually you could be mistaken for thinking so. Of all those bands listed Collateral are more akin to Bon Jovi, but not the early incarnation of the band, more a latter-day take on that enduring brand with a dash of Winger for good measure.
Dining straight in then, opener ‘Going With the Wind’ is a gentle mid-tempo soulful melodic rocker, frayed at the edges with Blues and with a cool breakdown and solo. Its the sort of song that promises so much, delivers more than enough but still leaves you feeling the band has plenty in reserve. A little lighter than you may expect if you’re the type of person that judges a book by its cover. To me it comes across as the antithesis of the Sunset Strip that most reviewers have fixated on, this is more East Coast, more thoughtful, more pre-1987 than what came after. It’s a great song and the melodies are spot on.
Rather than rock out ‘Midnight Queen’ is straight into Country territory something most rock fans I know either love, hate or maybe if you’re like me, can just about put up with if the song is god enough. Fans of Bon Jovi’s latest albums will absolutely fall in love with this as in truth it’s the equal of anything on those releases. Even if you find things a little light again there’s that cool solo and a more than addictive sing-along chorus.
‘Angels Crying’ for me is the standout track here, a lilting ballad that tells that familiar story of self-reflection and moving on. Musically it simply soars, and as ballads go it’s hands-down the very best I’ve heard in a long time. This is the sort of song that lights up all the buttons and pays out with each listen. It’s also the sort of song that makes Collateral stand apart from a lot of similar bands in similar positions. It’s golden.
Closer ‘Just Waiting For You’ like the other tracks here is light, melodic and beautifully constructed. It builds slowly and again inhabits that mid-tempo ground they plow so well. The best part comes, like so many of the songs here, with the change of pace and the solo, but again it feels restrained. Its whether that restraint is deliberate or natural that remains to be seen. These guys appear to have it all, but on’4 Shots’ the cards are still fairly close to the chest.
If there’s one thing I hoped for here it’s that shot of real fire, to see the band really hit their straps and rock out. Maybe that’s not who they are and if that’s the case it’s going to be cool to see where they head next. At the moment Collateral sound like a great Melodic Rock band who have here produced four killer songs and the fun is waiting to see what happens next.
