This demo CD came with nothing but a hand written note, meaning all I know about this band is that they formed 10 months ago, and create a solid, female fronted Ska Rock sound in the vein of No Comply, with some of Farse‘s heavier moments thrown in for variety.
The obvious comparison will be No Comply, as ‘The Outer Limits’ have a female singer who occasionally screams, and a dark, heavy and politically-minded sound. The singing is fairly indicative of where this band are at the moment, with vocals that concentrate too hard on staying in tune, and lack important energy. The lyrics however are very intelligent and thoughtful for a young band, tackling such issues as the Labour leadership in Britain and the political problems in America. Using brass cleverly to add texture and melodies to the sound, the music is solid but never really picks up pace, and as such can drag a bit when listened to on CD.
There is a lot of promise here in these tracks, but a lot more energy would help the songs, although I appreciate this is hard to do in a recording, especially when it is the band’s first demo. More hooks in the vocal lines could also work well. As it stands, if this band keeps writing songs, playing gigs and progressing, we could have another quality ska rock band to be proud of.
Ben Gosling