CD Review: the Outline – “You Smash it, We’ll Build Around It”

The Outline‘s debut release on Fearless Records, You Smash It, We’ll Build Around It, is this pleasant little combination of influences. The Outline sounds a lot like Depeche Mode, although not nearly as much as She Wants Revenge (the only band sounding more like Depeche Mode than She Wants Revenge is Depeche Mode, and only then by a small margin).

There’s also some serious Incubus worship going on, at least in the album’s production. This album sounds HUGE. As in, the Outline sounds more tailored to playing big stadium shows, as opposed to the club tour they’ve got going on later this summer. The album’s third track, “Death to Our Enemies (We’ll Make ‘Em Sorry)” features a Propellerheads-style bassline, and wickedly cool theremin to sound like a sci-fi action thriller’s theme music. You wanna dance and run away from the monsters all at the same time.

You Smash It, We’ll Build Around It manages to throw in diverse influences like the theremin on “Death To Our Enemies”, as well as salsa piano on “Perfect For the Plain” without sounding like it’s this tosspot of confused sounds. There’s a taste of the Streets on the closing track, “Broadway and Hurst”, but it’s funnier, more profane, and cooler than anything Mike Skinner has ever done.

The Outline is one of the few bands in recent memory to mix diverse elements with rock and not sound like they’re trying for flavor of the week. Sadly, this means they’ll probably get looked over in the grand scheme of things. Let’s hope you don’t make that mistake, and take the time to become familiar with ’em.

Check out tracks on their MySpace page.

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