Collect 'Em All

by Mike EgenthalPerhaps the "'Em" in Berkeley, CA, punk band Tilt's 1998 release Collect 'Em All refers to the band's past approaches with Bad Religion and Green Day albums, or maybe the title is an outcry to fans of these bands to do just that with future Tilt LPs. Who knows, but what is certain is the fact that this album falls well shy of being of the caliber of these other bands. It is not a very good punk rock record, but it is nevertheless listenable for fans of the aforementioned and punk scenesters. Throughout, the album teeters along the edge of being run-of-the-mill punk. It is somewhat generic sounding, consistently mechanical and often redundant. To its credit, Collect 'Em All manages to separate itself from countless other Bad Religion knock-off albums in the fact that the lyrics are intelligently crafted and passionately delivered with a considerable amount of vocal character by a female, and that's always refreshing in the largely Y-chromosomed punk pop market. However, in the end, the energy of the tightly played three- and four-chords riffs and aggressive delivery blend into somewhat of a punk rock sitcom -- a half-hour of only slightly above average music with few standout moments.