Review Summary: If you're looking for a fun listen, look no further. If you're looking for a groundbreaking album, look elsewhere.
I stumbled upon this album on accident, and having never heard of the band I decided I would give this a listen. Immediately my ears were flooded with cheesy synth dance beats, and my hopes for this being a good album were shattered. But then, the second track ("Headshot At The Ballet Recital") kicked in with crushing guitars and surprisingly good vocals. My hopes were again lifted, and I decided I would continue to listen further on into the album, and I do not regret doing so.
Odds are if you don't enjoy any of the synth-whateverthe***youwanttocallit-core then you probably won't enjoy this listen. If you are a fan of the genre, then you will probably love this record. But the difference between That's Outrageous! and other generic bands is that That's Outrageous put forth effort into their music. Whether it be the haunting string section in "Headshot At The Ballet Recital" or the oddity that is "Teenage Scream", they have a flare to their songwriting, and they put forth a genuine effort into making their music unique. This doesn't always succed, but throughout this album you will always be finding something that surprises you or catches your attention.
Very easily the least enjoyable part of this album is the ending of "Teenage Scream". What starts off as a decent enough, albeit generic, song ends in an odd sort of rap. Although it adds a twist to the song, it doesn't fit in and it isn't really anything that you would like to listen to. The best two songs on the album are easily "The New York Chainsaw Massacre" and "RE: Why I Killed My Girlfriend". "The New York Chainsaw Massacre" features a very interesting vocal trade off between That's Outrageous!' screamer and Austin Carlile. While many may not like Austin Carlile's shrill screams, they fit very nicely on this track and add a nice touch to a pretty heavy song. "RE: Why I Killed My Girlfriend" continues the already established sound but really shows what this band could do, and could do very well.
Vocally this album is pretty standard for the genre. The clean vocals are sometimes heavily autotuned and the screams usually stick in the mid-range but are usually very good. Where this album really fails is lyrically. With gems such as:
Listen bitch I just want you to know,
that everybody came here for a show
And I know your not stupid and can follow directions
So shut the *** up and stop being pretentious
But realistically, what could anybody else expect from a band that ticks all the right boxes? Synth? Check. Autotuned vocals? Check. Bad lyrics? Check. But what the band offers that is unique is worth looking past all the other generic qualities the band posesses. And although it may sound like I don't enjoy or wouldn't recommend this album, it is quite the opposite. This is a fun listen, and not one intended to be taken seriously. It's worth a listen, and it is a new twist on a genre that is over-saturated with bands following all the latest trends. This album is at leat worth a couple guilty pleasure listens though.
