This is just the kind of testosterone-driven racket that can remind a 21st century man where his balls are. Artfully constructed, but rarely pretentious, Collars comes on like a confused and slightly drunk 19-year-old with a good heart and something to prove. Dave Parker’s voice is an endearing combination of Caleb Followill and Ozzy, but the band behind him stops, starts, rumbles and crashes in such as way as to drive one to assume that the depths of his motivations are seated in influences a bit more sinister. According to their MySpace page, CC will play your party; they’ll probably be the last to leave, so good thing they rock.
- American Songwriter Magazine
The San Francisco-based quartet of alternative rockers Company Car have recently debuted their first full-length album. Titled Collars, it’s a collection of 10 songs with humble beginnings of soft melodies instantaneously halted with the explosive roaring of guitar riffs and vigorous drum rhythms. With Dave Parker and Albert Chough at the guitar accompanied by bandmates Noah Heldfond and Frank Martell respectively at the bass and drums, Company Car has the appeal of producing a high-energy combination. They create a lively compilation of music reminiscent of a laundry list of influences that could be pegged as Sparta, My Bloody Valentine, NOFX, and Queens of the Stone Age.
Instrumentally, the band succeeds in presenting a sound that is very animated in its energy-pumped execution. Between the unexpected tempo changes, long strains of chords and erratic pace of the drums, Company Car’s unusual musical creations stand alone.
- West Coast Performer Magazine
The band's press materials call them "loud indie rock," which is outstandingly understated for a self-assigned genre. The band's immediate influences (Fugazi, At the Drive in, Sunny Day Real Estate) come out from the beginning, and as you listen deeper into the songs, complex melodies, harmonies and instrumental parts emerge to craft a finely thought-out mix. As these elements come together, their later influences show their faces - Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden, Radiohead and The Cars.
The band's YouTube video was also a treat. The live show is clearly a riot, and the craziest thing about it is, people were actually dancing! Has anyone else noticed how people refuse to dance at shows recently? Maybe it's just the shows I've been to, but I think it's awesome that a rock band's fans will dance.
- The Deli SF
"Somehow managing to stir up sounds that are both superbly orchestrated and raucously inebriated, this Bay Area alt-pop four piece has put together a ten track debut that effortlessly embraces stark melodies and the more unpretentious aspects of math rock. By advantageously perfecting these songs for years before the release of this CD, the resulting tracks are assuredly polished and true, stealthy in their complexity and confident in their delivery. Like any good rock band, these guys get in, get out, and move on (none of these tracks even hit the four minute mark), making their play without any of the obligatory bells and whistles. They don't need it. These songs are compressed, smart, and fun to get to know. With the two guitars feeding into and off each other, the sound ends up being expansive and rich, which can't help but add another layer to the vocals. Smoothly toggling between lovelorn bliss and consuming self-examination, the lyrics here could be tossed off as "emo" (the dreaded "e" word) but that's not giving the songs nearly enough credit. At the base of it, this is just intelligent, really strong rock music that can't help but appeal to a large audience. And that's not easy to come by these days."
-CD Baby (featured artist review)
"Download of the Week: 'Fake Tattoo' by Company Car. The San Francisco foursome, which combines a regal indie sensibility with the down-and-dirty, post-grunge sound of Foo Fighters, recently finished recording 13 songs for a new album, which is due out in May. In the meantime, download 'Fake Tattoo' at www.companycarmusic.com. "
- San Francisco Chronicle
"Company Car's songs don't sound like tiresome philosophy lectures, even if the bandmates can discuss who kicks more ass, Alexander Pope or John Locke. Rather, the San Francisco quartet makes a thunderous noize that churns faster than an Amish kid on trucker speed, harkening back to groups like Fugazi, Sunny Day Real Estate, and Braid. We're talking about players who are equally attuned to the worlds of metal and classical, with just enough pop in their veins."
- Noise Pop
"Today, every band has a MySpace page, if not their own website, so maybe there's no longer a need for drawn-out comparisons. For nostalgia's sake, let us just say that if Fugazi and the Wrens had a baby, and that baby was home-schooled in San Francisco, its name would be Company Car. But if you're stuck in the technology age, listen to "War Dream" online. With each member singing and jibing while chuggin' through the band's bass-driven repertoire, it seems local headliners Vin Rouge must have shared the same womb."
- Flavorpill.com
"Think Queens of the Stone Age mixed with Green Day and the Get Up Kids. Their high-energy live performances continue to make them a favorite."
- FuncheapSF.com
"Straight-forward indie rock from San Francisco with influences like Fugazi apparent. Noisy pop harmonies cascade alongside the post-emo harsh guitar distortions. Vocally Company Car hits on all cylinders, often finding a perfect groovesomewhere between Hey Mercedes (an admitted influence) and Jimmy Eat World. I guess what I liked most was that I felt my body moving within a song or two and I really felt that I was feeling itI know that sounds like wishy washy annoying music critic crap, but its the f-ing truth!"
- Smother.com
