Review Summary: A beautiful, if temporary, detour from the band's established sound.
My first reaction upon hearing that Out of Service were going to be releasing an acoustic-folk album was, at best, uncertain. So much of what made
The Ground Beneath Me excellent was its explosiveness – the breakdown on 'The Ferry', the shouting, intertwined guest vocals from members of Emery on 'A Moment Trapped In Time', the way 'Day Forty One' launched into that infectiously screamed chorus, the swelling back half of 'What You See' – it was a moody piece that occasionally boiled over into an all-out frenzy. While
Reflections and Refractions Vol. 1 is stripped-down as anticipated, it manages to avoid the pitfalls of so many
heavy band-gone-acoustic endeavors. Written and recorded over the course of the 2020 pandemic lockdowns, the album successfully experiments with a variety of softer tones – from emo to indie-folk – while still managing to switch up the style and intensity often enough to keep listeners fully engaged.
An experiment by the band's own admission,
Reflections and Refractions Vol. 1 represents a temporary deviation in between "proper rock records", but it's also one that is very worthwhile. Out of Service demonstrate their ability to mold and reshape their approach as musicians – whether it's the subtle flute serenade of 'Room 9', the smooth, catchy, and piano-underscored melody of 'Folk 3', the breezy wave of acoustic guitars that wash across 'Folk 1', or the elegant piano balladry of 'Reflections'. They also flex their instrumental prowess by crafting some seriously catchy non-vocal hooks, such as the melodic acoustic plucks that serve as the most memorable moment on 'Hindsight', or the sullen string outro that makes 'Obscured' feel all the more poignant. Throughout the experience, there's an emphasis on keeping the drums involved while also injecting shouts/screams during moments of heightened emotion – all of which helps to prevent the record's tempo from stagnating. It may feel like a balancing act at times, but the way that Out of Service manage to explore new sonic territory without abandoning their fiery core is impressive.
The most rewarding aspects of
Reflections and Refractions Vol. 1 come when they raise the stakes lyrically. There's a sense of existential dread that spans the entire release, first becoming evident on 'Serenity Now' when Mike Capuano sings, "We bring it on ourselves and we wait for someone else to clean up the mess / Just let it burn, just let us burn", followed by an exasperated "We never learn". While much of
Reflections and Refractions Vol. 1's themes could be chalked up to personal relationships – often quite accurately – it's hard not to connect the dots to the social and political when the lyrics open themselves up to ambiguity. The weighty content of 'Obscured' comes to mind immediately, with lines like "If we just bite our tongues we'll be a whole better off / Or maybe that's why we are here in the first place" seemingly taking a swipe at apathy/inaction and its impact on society, with Capuano later asking "Have I obscured myself?", effectively driving home the point that it's up to us to make our voices heard, or otherwise liken our existence to driftwood. That same sense of urgency is captured on 'Hindsight' and 'Refractions', where the latter builds to one final epic flourish that grapples with death ("The scenes keep changing as his life falls through his hands" / "A bitter ending to an existence wrought with such fear") and the former represents hope while there is still time: "Keep your mind in the now, you can't live in the past / Keep your loved ones around, keep them close to your chest / Don't exist in silence, make sure you shout / Live your life to the best, every single goddamn day."
For all of its subdued folk leanings,
Reflections and Refractions Vol. 1 very much feels like a rallying cry. While recalling that the album was written at the height of COVID-19, the impact of those perilous times can be readily felt in every note and lyric, from the band's desire to create something entirely new to their focus on the precious value of life. One might say that it's the product of
a moment trapped in time. There's no denying that Out of Service are at their best when they're dialing up the intensity – a phenomenon that thankfully isn't excluded from this acoustic offering – but
Reflections and Refractions Vol. 1 offers us a beautiful, if temporary, detour from the band's established sound.
