One of my favorite bands has done a full-length tribute to a classic work of American literature? Sign me up! Stay Gold, Vista Blue's tribute to S.E. Hinton's 1967 novel (and later Francis Ford Coppola's motion picture) The Outsiders, has just received its digital release in advance of physical releases expected late this year or early next year. If you love The Outsiders (who doesn't?) and/or love Vista Blue, you just can't go wrong with Stay Gold. As you would expect, the band shows tremendous love for the book and the movie. You can tell this album was made by Outsiders super-fans. Just as importantly, Vista Blue has made a record that truly does justice to this iconic tale. A lame Outsiders tribute would have been a bitter letdown. But this just might be Vista Blue's very best out of 50+ releases so far! The songs loosely follow the plot of the story, and the lyrics are inspired by quotes from the novel (OF COURSE an album about The Outsiders would have to start with a song called "Paul Newman and a Ride Home"!). Stylistically, this is vintage Vista Blue stuff: think buzzing guitars, stellar harmonies, and choruses that will take you straight to pop heaven. But I love how this album stretches beyond pop-punk in ways that seem suitable to a tale set in 1960s America. Featuring vocals by Reese Chism and red-hot lead guitar from Chris Billiot, the rock and roll ripper "We Turn It Up" is a delightfully unexpected turn from Nashville's pop heartthrobs (best lyric: "We think the Beatles are rank/but Elvis is tuff"). The band fully flexes its power pop chops on the Mike and Andy Miller penned "So Tuff." "Marcia," guest starring the great Jeff Schroeck on lead guitar, would slot nicely on a playlist between The Everly Brothers and Buddy Holly. As you would expect and hope for from a pop-punk-ish Outsiders homage, there's a smash hit titled "Cherry" and a track called "She's a Soc." Perfectly, the album concludes with the 1-2 punch of "Rumble at the Vacant Lot" and the epic "In the Country." I'm not crying -- you're crying!
Out of Vista Blue's many brilliant ideas for themed releases, Stay Gold is easily one of the most inspired. The Outsiders is a beloved piece of American popular culture and a tale well-suited to Vista Blue's musical and lyrical style. It's kid-friendly but equally relatable to adults. Seriously: what could be more "pop-punk" than songs about teenage gangs, loud music, and unattainable girls? This was a wonderful concept for an album, and its execution could not have been better. I would most definitely rank tracks like "Friday Night," "Rumble at the Vacant Lot," and of course "Cherry" in the highest echelon of Vista Blue songs. I have a feeling this release will lead more than a few people to read (or re-read) The Outsiders. So now you've got something to add to your summer playlist and your summer reading list. Stay Gold is currently a free download from Bandcamp!
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