Review Summary: A refreshing Post-Hardcore release filled with originality, flair, and promise.
Outline in Color, coming off a successful debut LP, needed to avoid stagnation, and innovate after being heckled about their lack of originality in the aforementioned album. In their 2014 release, Masks, they have done just that.
The album is littered with the beautiful, swooning melodies of their lead singer, KC, which has carried the band thus far. He doesn’t rely on the higher end of his vocal range, which gained some criticisms because of the “whiny” qualities of his voice, and this makes the pairing between vocals and rugged instrumentals sound far more natural. For the best example of KC’s improvement, look to “Whispers”; it’s driven exclusively by his pipes and a piano. Not only have the cleans improved, but the harsh vocals are leaps and bounds above where they were on the last release. Trevor has become even more unrelenting in his approach and pacing, all the while utilizing equal parts low, aggressive growls and the higher-pitched, almost groining, screams that make the uncleans sound unique in a world of one-pitch vocalists. In “Con Artist Culture Vs. Pax Americana” there is even a hint of more maniacal screams from Trevor that are reminiscent of The Plot in You. Little variances in approach for harsh vocals like that are a breath of fresh air in a stale genre.
As far as the guitars go, they too have improved, although not to the same degree as the singers. They seemed to be little more than placeholders on Jury Of Wolves, but on this release See Jay (yes, that’s his name…at least according to their record label) and Forrest created a larger presence. Their riffs, although not as technical as other acts, are catchy and incredibly punchy. Look to “Pick Your Poison” for a great example of their increased writing ability. Songs sounding the same due to nearly identical guitar riffs can be a death sentence for bands trying to get off the ground but luckily, that pitfall is easily avoided.
The drummer, Austin, has all his talents on display this time around. Even in the presence of obligatory breakdowns, he adds his own flair into the otherwise grudgingly-simple patterns. Exhilaratingly technical drum fills lie around every corner, and the direction taken with each new tempo is just as refreshing as the last. For a genre plagued with programmed drums, this natural, and most likely more painstaking, recording effort has paid off. Even though there are times when the fills and beats seem out of place, there are very few Post-Hardcore bands out there with better, more consistently satisfying, drumming.
Songwriting is another area of vast improvement. The last album dabbled in topics treaded so many times before, with cliché lyrics that, even when executed nicely, still felt weak. Instead the main topic, and album namesake, is about appearances. There is something incredibly relevant about the concept of people wearing masks, especially with the rise of social media and multiple, anonymous online personas. Along with that, are criticisms of the American dream, consumerism, the love/hate relationship of being in a touring band, secrets, and, of course, a good old trouncing of shady record labels. The lyrics themselves use less of the tired tropes, although they don’t really break new ground; see “Lifer” for a look at improved lyrics.
All in all, Outline In Color has defiantly separated themselves from the pack with a release filled with incredible vocal performances, catchy guitar work, technical drumming, and vastly improved songwriting.
