By Charlie Maybee
This reading of Alchemical Records content provides a multimedia experience for our audience while increasing the accessibility of our content to persons with hearing loss, low vision, dyslexia, physical or motor disabilities, or are on the autism spectrum.
Northern Virginia-based post-punk band, Outerloop, is starting the new year with the release of their debut EP today, January 8. Appropriately titled “EP 01,” this is a standout record that spans a lot of musical ground in just six songs.
Starting off with an atmospheric song titled “Seeping Mirrors,” which Alchemical Records had the pleasure of covering previously (check out our write-up here), there is an immediate introduction to the unique melodic drive of Outerloop’s sound that finds the guitar equally rhythmic as the drums and bass.
It’s the vocals by Latin-jazz trained singer Taisha Estrada that really sets the band’s unique tone, adding a wonderfully theatrical cadence over the turbulent instrumentals that is reminiscent of singers like Karen O or Amanda Palmer.
One of the standout tracks from the EP is the prog-rock protest song “El Control,” which feels like a sharp heel turn into the latter half of the record. Odd time signatures twist and turn as the lead vocals sung in Spanish cut deep into U.S. colonialism in Puerto Rico. Stylistically speaking, it merges all the various genre influences that the album sports cohesively and allows for Estrada’s cultural background to take the spotlight, something not often seen amongst the American post-punk scene. It’s a very refreshing experience.
“EP 01” is available now via Bandcamp and other major streaming services. The official music video for “Seeping Mirrors” is also available on YouTube. Follow our Alchemical Weekly Spotify Playlist for more great music featured on the site.
Charlie Maybee is a dancer, musician, educator, and writer based in Charleston, South Carolina who currently teaches with the Dance Program at the College of Charleston. His primary work as an artist is with his performing collective, Polymath Performance Project, through which he makes interdisciplinary performance art that centers tap dance as the primary medium of expression and research. He also currently plays rhythm guitar for the Charleston-based punk band, Anergy, and releases music as a solo artist under the name Nox Eterna.
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Alchemical Records is a Washington, D.C. based music publication. We cover the Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, VA metro area music scenes, including band interviews, articles about your favorite musicians, new music and concert dates.
