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I am feeling like a dried-out sardine after the gig Scarecrow and Public Acid played in Richmond last night. Daniel was nice enough to take on driving duties. After the gig, the two of us rode back to Raleigh, arriving promptly at 3am. But the gig was absolutely killer. Would do it again.
At first, I didn’t think I’d be able to muster the energy to write about any records that I’ve enjoyed this week. But then, I decided I could ramble about this Outpatients LP that just came out on Painkiller. For me, Outpatients are one of the unsung great 80s hardcore bands from New England. I’ve always claimed that the classic Bands That Could Be God compilation is worth it for the Outpatients songs alone. Unfortunately, Outpatients never had a proper vinyl release of their own. I guess tapes of their recorded material had floated around for a long time. At some point many years back, I was turned onto the Hardcore Outcasts compilation, which is a collection of the band’s recorded output, all of which varies in quality and audio fidelity. But DAMN, the style of hardcore that Outpatients play is just right up my alley. Raging and turbulent, sometimes kinda dissonant and eerie like Mecht Mensch or something, but then often it’s super tuneful and catchy. Also, I’m a sucker for the vocals. There’s something about the singer’s raspy, shredded voice that reminds so much of Kevin’s vocals on the Subculture LP.
This Readmitted LP on Painkiller is an even more thorough collection of songs than the CD compilation from years ago. The A side is primarily the early hardcore songs and demo-quality recordings. Then, when you flip over to the B-side, Outpatients’ approach to hardcore captures this slightly melodic edge that reminds of when releases on Dischord started to have a similar shift in style during the mid-80s. Like not quite Revolution Summer level softness, but definitely hinting at that sound. “Hardcore Outcasts” seems apt for this young band from Westfield. When listening to their recordings, I hear a band that comes across as earnest and determined. But for whatever reason, maybe because the band was from a smaller town rather than a metropolitan area like Boston, the fidelity isn’t as great, the records never came out, and perhaps they never got the attention they deserved. But hey, who doesn’t love an underdog story? Personally, I listen to the collection of songs on this LP and just imagine if Outpatients had recorded at a place like Inner Ear and released a few 7”s. I bet they would be heavily sought after and held in higher regard like a Deep Wound or whatever. Maybe I’m embellishing, but I really think this is a cool band.
So yeah, got check out Outpatients if you never have. That’s all I’ve got. I’m gonna pound coffee for the rest of the day until the jitters wear off and I pass out. As always, thanks for reading.
‘Til next week,
-Jeff