Outside In – Self-Titled

Do you know those CDs that you have and listen to all the time, but you don’t really know what to say about them. People will see the CD in your CD player and ask you what they sound like, and you really don’t know what to say. Your mind just draws a blank. That’s what Outside In is like. While I can sit down and listen to their self-titled debut over and over again, I still have no idea what to say about them. But I’ll give it a shot.

The eight song CD is a fairly easy, laid back listen. The young band from Boise, Idaho have taken the indie rock sound and hammered it down to a T. There are pretty simplistic, but very layered harmonies backing the soothing, but sometimes annoying vocals of Dustin Neal. That’s probably the thing that stands out the most on this album, how well the instruments back the vocals of Neal and backup singer Clark Williams. It all helps make an easy-listening pop-rock album to throw in and play while you’re busy working on homework or something as it just flows perfectly. None of the songs really send you flying, but none make you reach for the skip button.

The band shows some promise, especially with songs like Pieces and January. It is a nice, easy listen, pretty laid back and great background music. But that, right there, is the problem: it is pretty much just background music. It rarely, if ever, really jumps out at the listener and really grabs their attention. For a self-released album, its something they should be proud of, but if Outside In ever want to be taken seriously in the big leagues, then they must find a way to distinguish themselves from their crowd. Some sort of gimmick or attraction that makes them a memorable band, rather than one that will soon be swept aside and forgotten.