Odd Man Out Odd Man Out LP
While “NWHC” as a descriptor has always been more of a collection of largely metallic capitol-H hardcore bands from western Washington than a cohesive genre unto itself, I feel like there’s a musical thread between a number of bands to have come out of this sterile, dreary corner of the US, of which ODD MAN OUT is both a continuing part of and expansion on. BROTHERHOOD is a clear main influence, primarily in terms of vocal delivery, competent changeups that less capable bands might handle like a herky-jerky musical collision, along with guidance on how to expand on both standard youth crew and burlier NYHC templates, and ODD MAN OUT heeds these lessons well, while also applying the hindsight and musical raw material of thirty extra years from which to draw. Plenty of dancefloor-ready mosh abounds—and even the drawn out-seeming breakdowns go somewhere in the end, or you can tell that they’re riding on a riff because it’s fucking good—but there’s also a good deal of lightning-fast blasting that brings everything together well. This LP compiles their 7″, CCHC tape, three covers (the DC YOUTH BRIGADE and Tacoma’s SIDETRACKED), and four new songs, and it’s cool to hear the evolution from the earliest songs to the newest ones. And while we’re on the subject of BROTHERHOOD, RIP Ron Guardipee.