Collective Dust: “Do People Even Use CD’s Anymore?” EP Review

Do you miss the old days when song titles were wildly tongue in cheek? What about the old titles like “Reptar, King of the Ozone” or “Someday, in the Event That Mankind Actually Figures Out What It Is That This World Revolves Around, Thousands of People are Going to Be Shocked and Perplexed to Find Out It Was Not Them. Sometimes, This Includes Me.” Collective Dust, a five-piece self-described “crabcore” band from Clarksville, TN is bringing back those quirky titles, along with that beloved 2000s metalcore sound with their infectious EP, Do People Even Use CDs Anymore?

Do People Even Use CD’s Anymore? EP Review

Tracks: 5

Length: 18:06

Release Date: March 6, 2026

Label: Independent

Our first song takes you back to the days of skinny jeans and Hot Topic with “2007 Called, They Want Their Music Back.” From the opening scream, you’ll be transported back to the 2000s, when synth and screams echoed in our hearts. Wilson’s vocals remind me of Matt Langston of eleventyseven. The high-pitched emo-esque screams blend really well with the clean melodies. I thought the breakdown with the guitars and keys was a nice touch. The song gets you dancing with the chorus and moshing in the verses. We have a moment when the auto tune kicks in (with hints of Breathe Carolina influence) and the band decides to have some fun with it, “And check this riff that I wrote in drop D when I was 15.” I appreciate how they incorporate scripture into their songs. In this song they incorporated Matthew 6:27, 25-34, Philippians 4:7, 3:13-14 and others.

“Don’t worry about tomorrow’s problems. What you’ll eat or drink or wear. The birds are fed and the flowers die. So don’t stress your life away.”

As we go from singing about not worrying about tomorrow’s problems, we drop into “Pretty Little Liar.” This song has a thunderous opening that matches the drums and the screams echoing “There’s a plank in my eye and I can’t see it.” The double bass keeps the rhythm tight, along with the distortion of the guitars throughout the song. The music sounds well thought out and that there are no wasted notes. The breakdown isn’t quite as heavy, but it still works. It proves that you don’t need a heavy and brutal breakdown to make it fun and enjoyable.

From “Pretty Little Liar” to “Two Turtles,” this song has a blend of pop, emo and screamo. The lyrics harken back to the emo days of Hawthorne Heights and The Used, with lines like “You could’ve taken a knife and carved out my heart. The second that you met me. And it wouldn’t make a difference because it already belonged to you.” This love song is different from the others on the EP as it focused more on the cleans than the screams. The keys are the primary focus throughout the song as the song was tempered back on tempo. This song offers a refreshing twist with its nostalgic emo pull and vocal variety.

In “Two Turtles,” the band put an emphasis on the clean vocals and in “You Tell ‘Em, Jango! I’m Too Mad,” they really honed in on the screams. The guitars sound darker and more metal than pop by comparison. The bass is directing the darker atmosphere of the song as it gives it more of a grunge, industrial sound.

“Make no mistake. Don’t mistranslate. It isn’t up for debate. These words I sing are written for the King of Kings. King of Heaven and Earth.”

“You are my purpose. My identity. Whatever I do. I’ll do it for you and not for me.”

While musically it seems darker, when you read lyrics like the ones above, the song is actually a worship song. The writer is writing from the perspective of what he does is for the glory of God above. It is a reminder that what we do here should reflect the goodness and glory of God and that we are doing it to bring praise to Him.

That leads us into the last song, “Me? Sarcastic? Never…” By the way, what a great title for a song, especially for those who are fluent in sarcasm. Like the previous song, the bass drives the tempo, but it’s a cleaner sound. The high pitch cleans got a little too high and sounded like a bit of a stretch for the vocalist. However, the accompanying bass and drums complimented each other nicely on the breakdown. You can hear the passion and drive in the band in how they crafted the song.

“Heaven knows God doesn’t need me. But He’s declared me worthy. So why on earth wouldn’t I join the cause for His name sake and spread the gospel?”

What a great message to end Do People Even Use CDs Anymore? on, knowing that while God doesn’t need us, He still has a purpose and reason for our existence. The messages were great, especially since they once again wove scripture into the lyrics to create a theologically sound message.  The short five-song EP is a great introduction to this band and it hits that nostalgia fix for 2000s screamo. There were times that the clean vocals got a little pitchy, but it’s still a step in the right direction. If you long for the days of emo hairstyles and colorful album covers, Collective Dust is a band that needs to be in your music collection.