Outtacontroller is one of those bands that can properly be described as first class. This Halifax, Nova Scotia–based foursome has been around for more than a decade and practically set the standard for what modern-day garage/power pop/punk ought to be. New album Come Alive (the band's fourth long player) came out a few weeks back with very little hype. But make no mistake about it: in a year full of excellent LPs in the punk/garage universe, Come Alive is one of the best. And it finds Outtacontroller at its very best. This sounds like a vintage Outtacontroller record without coming off like a copy of the band's previous releases. If anything, this release is representative of where a power pop/punk band ought to be in the "mature" stage of its existence. The guitars still buzz, and the melodies are still undeniable. Yet in spite of the fact that only one track surpasses three minutes in length, it feels like these guys have gotten really adept at giving their songs added depth and more room to breathe.
Written and produced by guitarists/vocalists Terry A'hearn and James O'Toole, these 11 songs are well-crafted and irresistibly tuneful. If you like your punk music to be melodic but not obnoxiously "poppy," this is the album you've been waiting to hear! Of course I knew that some of the singles (such as "Parts Unknown" and the extraordinary title track) were top-notch. But seriously, you can go anywhere up and down the track listing and land on a fantastic song. "Hit and Run" is a true achievement in songwriting efficiency: a "slow jam" that clocks in at just two minutes, 24 seconds and manages to rock hard even as it gives off chill vibes. "Show Me How It's Done" is the perfect title for a quintessential garage power pop punk song. "Gets Me Everytime" finds the boys leaning more pop, and then "I Wanna Be Bored" goes the other way in blistering punk fashion. "Hanging Over You" might be the catchiest tune Outtacontroller has ever released.
Come Alive is an album that was a long time in the making. The title track was released way back at the beginning of 2021. Over a full year and a half, Terry, James, Sean, and AJ took their time to properly complete the album. And all that effort shows. The songs are the strongest of the band's career, and the album sounds amazing (My god, those guitars!). The whole reason I started this blog was because I wanted to review albums just like this one. 11 years later, it's a joy to hear this style of music still flourishing. I've long joked about something in the environment of Eastern Canada being conducive to producing great power pop/punk. It's funny because it's true.
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