Release Date: March 16th 2018
Label: Too Loud Records
Genre: Skate Punk
Out in Style are a three piece Skate punk from Canada and Brazil who recently released their album Broken Dreams. Across it’s fourteen tracks there is a very clear pop punk approach, though this is tempered by some heavier elements and a fair bit of variation in song structure. The album is made up of short sharp numbers, that with a few exceptions don’t exceed three minutes.
The album begins with ‘Looking For You’ which is a fairly fast punchy track with a well constructed riff and solid drumming; both elements that are consistently strong across Broken Dreams. The video for this song depicts clips of the band and what initially appears to be domestic bliss, however all is not quite as it seems. As a side note the cup holders in the armchair look incredibly useful. The somewhat anguished and emotive lyrics of the track are demonstrative of the record as a whole. Themes of failed relationships, soured friendships and an overarching sense of paranoia are all explored, which makes sense given the choice of name for the album.
Throughout the album the songs are pretty consistent in their execution with a number of variants in the formula applied that prevent things becoming overly repetitious. ‘Dreaming’ has a slightly off kilter almost Ska like rhythm to it, albeit at a faster pace than most Ska songs. ’Lucid Dream’ has a smooth alternating drum and guitar intro and introduces a female voice on backing vocals which works well.
‘Dead End’ is the standout track for me as it really showcases the band’s capacity to create a broader dynamism in their sound. Though it begins similarly enough to the other songs as it progresses there is a breakdown that cuts out to an exchange between just guitar and drums. After this a heavy riff gradually increases in speed before all instruments briefly cut out and the song ends with vocals returning to the fray. Rounding things off the instrumental parts of ‘The Great Perhaps’ are once again executed with panache, bringing the album to a positive conclusion.
As I listened to this album my initial apprehension did wane quite considerably as these guys are clearly good at what they do. Everything is played uptempo and the songs are tight. The guitar parts especially really demonstrate some chops and the drums are relentlessly fast but retain a crisp sound. Whilst I’m still not fully convinced that pop punk is going to be a regular listen for me any time soon, this album is actually pretty strong. Particularly on the songs such as ‘Lucid Dream’ and ‘Dead End’ The band have crafted some interesting and polished tracks.
Recommended Track: Dead End
Rating: 6.5/10
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