THE EASY OUTS
The Easy Outs
Holy crap! Is it the '70s again? I just heard an album by and I could swear that they are a band made up of musicians from that era, having attained some synthesis of the pop, crunch and glam that made bands like AC/DC, New York Dolls and Sweet worth hearing (with occasional sides of The Bay City Rollers and The Ramones in their lighter moments). Throw in a touch of Slade and I think I have it nailed down, by golly.
J. B. of Canada News says ?Rock & Roll should be sweaty, propulsive and catchy as stink? and while I wouldn't support that as a blanket statement, I get the drift. Most of the tracks on this album are constructed of crunching major chords, attitudinal vocals and pounding rhythms. They are also, like J. B. says, catchy as hell. By the time the chorus kicked in one track one, Little Miss Innocent, I knew these guys had the goods, that they would be head-boppin' good. Three months have passed and my head is still boppin'.
If AM radio was still in existence, I'd say that The Easy Outs were a shoo-in for airplay. Look Away has a rhythm which gets under the skin and lyrics ready-made for singing along. Perfect for that summer anthem everyone is always talking about (Sheryl Crow? Move over!). Get Some reeks of tongue-in-cheek humor that would override the song but for the classy harmonies and that solid crunching rhythm guitar. Play this loud and you understand why they stack them Marshalls. Even the slower I Ain't Got Nothin' screams rock anthem and I can imagine hands going for the Bic lighter--- for some of us old-timers, it's an automatic reflex.
Maybe the best thing about these songs is that they are all short and sweet. Nothing heavy here, it's all upbeat and, damn, is it over already? Did I hear a faint hint of The Rubettes there or was it Earthquake? God save me, I'm losing it! Oh well. Better to lose it to Hard Pop than to be smothered by the likes of Lady Gaga.
Oh, I am sure there will be naysayers out there. These guys are the bubble gum of metal and the harsh critics will emphasize the gum, but I've heard all that before. I remember the headbangers slamming those twisted Aussies who wore shorts back in the day and it wasn't long before those heads were bangin' along with everyone else's. And people who bad-mouthed Slade took their lives in their hands. More than one snide asshole found himself in the dumpster, nose streaming blood. Okay, I'm kidding, but the thing to remember here is to keep an open mind. If this music gets in, it stays in and, what the hell, summer's just around the corner. Cruise down the street with The Easy Outs blaring and you're a lock. ?Hey, Good-Lookin', be back to pick you up later.? Goddamn, those were good times. And they aren't over yet.
Frank O. Gutch Jr.
Supporting the Indies Since 1969