Oh No!

A. Tom Collins is making late-night barroom jazz with a punk-rock edge that’s prominently displayed on the band’s EP, Oh No! The album’s six tracks are a dizzying mix of styles, mashing classic R&B, blues, and jazz together with straight-ahead rock ’n’ roll and a dash of Tom Waits for good measure.

The album’s opener and title track kicks things off with deep baritone backing vocals and a snappy horn line behind Collins’ distinctive voice and piano work. It sets the tone perfectly. “Vice Sins And Lovers” offers plenty of catchiness and great use of gang vocals to bring the energy up, while “Be My Baby” slows things down to a sort of drunken-waltz pace and really lets the clarinet stand out. The closer, “Pretty People,” plays like the last song of a long, long night propping up the bar. The song’s undeniable chorus makes it a great way to end the EP.

Oh No!’s inebriated, old-school vibe may not be for everyone, but to the credit of A. Tom Collins, the band is doing its own thing. Listeners on board with the EP’s booze-soaked late-night vibe will find it’s damn entertaining.