Talk:Outside Brain

A mixed review

Musically the band sound great on this, and some interesting lead guitar and breaks. I'm not keen on the lyrics. One of the problems the band seems oblivious to is that the fact the oblique lyrics run the risk of sacrificing meaning and that such songs risk not make any emotional connection with the listener. One way round this of course is to find the emotional resonance in the vocal. Louie, Louie by the Kingsmen is the best example of how this can work. Flans fey pretty vocal, doesn't really work and I don't think it matches the mood of the music, and there's not enough melody in the vocal to hold my interest.

There's a great song in here, but if I'd been producing I'd have asked for a more direct lyric and aggressive vocal. The band seem to delight in these postmodern tunes, but lyrically it's essentially meaningless. I only know what the point of the song because the press release tells me. A shame because the music and excellent production deserves better. Flans compares the song to the Bobby Fuller Four, but 'I fought the law' lyrics have an emotional complexity that leaves Outside Brain in the dust. (Mr Tuck).