Collar Collage – “What A Time To Be Alive” [Song Review]

Envelop your senses in the infectious, electronic sounds of Collar Collage’s indie-pop masterpiece, “What a Time To Be Alive.” The old-school-style track features the soulful, rich vocals of lead vocalist, Shane Conerty married with the hypnotic notes of a multi-piece musical accompaniment and doo-wop vocals that color the song with various hues of emotional complexity. Interestingly, the song takes on the harrowing topic of death and illustrates how we cope with death in the digital landscape.

According to the Brooklyn-based band, the somber song “pokes fun at the 21st-century focus on social media, personal relationships, and how these two intertwine to either build-up or destroy a person.” Lyrics like “delete all my accounts” and “change my living status to deceased” paint a dramatic picture of what could happen to our digital citizenship in light of our death in the real world – something we often don’t talk about. In a tongue-in-cheek style, Conerty sings the repetitive, dark lyrics, “Hallelujah, hallelujah, what a time to be alive. Hallelujah, hallelujah, what a time to die,” over an upbeat, enthusiastic musical collage.

The track, which was released on major streaming platforms on February 11th, features the entire Collar Collage band: Jeremiah Harris (bass), Mason Lickey (keys), Waverly Langston (drums, percussion), Mel Johnston (vocals), and Kim Foxen (vocals). To listen to more amazing indie-pop and doo-wop-infused bops from this band, check out their previous singles including “Eye on You” on Spotify.

Until this band releases another single, we’ll be feeling very, very blue…