Devil's Gate Music
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Three quarters Chicago, one quarter Phoenix, all combining to make The Outfit, a vastly experienced foursome setting out to stamp their mark on the music scene with this, their self-titled debut album. Non-fussy, straight up arena rock, with big bloody hooks. The obvious comparison would be with little Davie Grohl and his merry men… guitar driven anthemic songs with an penchant for a strong melody. Tracks like ‘Lucky One’, and current single ‘Soldier Boy’, are tailor made for a packed arena, with instantly agreeable choruses that reach for the sky. The guitars from Matt Nawara and Andy Mitchell cleverly resist the urge to overpower the song. They are important to the overall sound, but you won’t find much showboating or guitar fireworks, instead they add colour to the picture. ‘TKO’, for instance, has a simple, staccato guitar sound throughout that will be familiar, but it sure is catchy as hell. Same with the shimmering guitar that features on ‘Soldier Boy’, very Johnny Marr in places, subtle and never fully in-yer-face. Mitchell also handles the vocal duties, and has a hypnotic, natural voice that is easy to enjoy. ‘Unfolds’ acts as a showcase to put his vocals firmly front and centre, the kind of song that record companies would start a bidding war over to push some new hotshot protegé. Chris Daughtry would give his right nut to cover this; edgy enough not to alienate the rockers, but commercial enough to not scare the drivetime listeners away. With a running time barely touching the half hour mark, this is a fat-free product. The habit of bludgeoning the listener with thirteen or fourteen tracks, that seems to be all the rage today, is thankfully nowhere to be found. The listener doesn’t have time to get bored, and Spotify users can cherry pick away to their heart’s content. The ballad (of sorts), ‘Miracle’, could easily fill the airwaves of American radio and not sound diluted, although it is when the guitars are turned up that you feel the full effect of The Outfit. Closing track ‘Hot Love’ is perhaps the best example; a fast paced romp that features a simple, steady drum beat that rattles around the skull for some time. A brief and enjoyable experience that ticks all the right boxes and leaves the listener with a warm fuzzy glow. Available from 2nd February via Pavement Entertainment. More information here. Review: Dave Stott]]>
