THE OUTFIELD CLOSER TO NEW ALBUM

[RJhog (Admin)]

from melodickrock.com

 

Power pop-rock trio The Outfield, who scored big in the 1980s with a series of venerable Top 40 hits, including "Your Love," "Say It Isn't So" and "Since You've Been Gone," have been working diligently in a London studio finishing up several new tracks that are expected to make the setlist for the band's new album. Guitarist and chief songwriter John Spinks is said to have hit an impressive creative streak— penning a prolific number of new songs over the last year and a half that the band hopes will resonate with long-time fans as well as the three-million-plus people who purchased their multi-platinum debut album Play Deep.
Early previews of their studio work indicate that the band is on course to release a record of stellar new material with the same melodic pop/rock sound and sensibilities of their earlier records. The return of original drummer Alan Jackman is being credited with sparking a vitality in the studio that can be heard in the most recent recording sessions. The songs represent a truly inspired and productive reunion for the trio, who haven't worked collaboratively since 1989 when Jackman left the band after recording the Voices of Babylon album. And from the still-growing collection of new material, the band has recently identified a sonic focus for their next album and begun a challenging process of elimination to decide which songs will make the cut.
Led by the highly infectious "California Sun," which has been tentatively scheduled for release as a single in January 2011, the other tracks said to be contenders for the album all share a reverberating energy that has become a hallmark of the band's distinctive and dynamic sound. All the components that fans have come to expect from The Outfield are there— Tony Lewis' octave-soaring voice, Spinks' driving power-chords, Jackman's skillful percussion and those lush vocal harmonies that are rivaled only by recordings of Lennon and McCartney. Collectively, these elements are probably most evident on the songs "A Long, Long Time Ago" and "Who Would You Be," which offer a perfect blend of pop and rock that recalls the best of the band's Bangin' repertoire. Perhaps even more irresistible is a tune called "New York City" and its clever, circular melody that systematically steers the song as if it were locked on cruise control. In that regard, it shares a euphonic kinship with "California Sun" as another song that will be audibly stuck in your head for days.
Nevertheless, each of the new tracks has a contemporary sound that is quintessential Outfield mixed with slight tinges of Spinks' musical influences woven into them. "In Your Company" and "Sandman," for example, immediately evoke sonic comparisons to the stylings of another popular 80s rock trio, The Police. And much like the demo for "Baby, I'm Crazy" that was previously featured on The Outfield's website this year, the song "Mr. Paranoia" features an edgier guitar sound and shades of Led Zeppelin that demand you play it at a louder volume for full effect.
If the new material reflects the direction that The Outfield is taking with this new album, the band is enthusiastically demonstrating— intentionally or unwittingly perhaps— that they were never destined to be a nostalgia act. And despite having achieved enormous success with their debut album 25 years ago, there clearly isn't any desire to record "Play Deep, Part 2" or to release an album of subpar songs simply for the sake of touring on the hits again. Instead, The Outfield appear to have built upon their own unique brand of pop/rock foundation to craft an entirely new set of songs that seem fresh and spirited, yet instantly classic at the same time.
For more information on The Outfield, visit the band's official website at www.theoutfield.com.

[Jon]

I'm gonna rain on the parade here....I loathe The Outfield. Pandering poppy crap rock. Saw them open for Starship years ago, most of the kids left when they were done. Granted, Starship as a band sucked but there was still Grace Slick and the others on stage and they did play a boatload of their pre-Starship stuff so that was worth it. But The Outfield? Let me repeat this again....I...LOATHE...THE OUTFIELD.

Thank you and have a nice day.

[RJhog (Admin)]

Well.....you're gonna love the AOTW in a few weeks...

[Scott]

Their first 2 releases were pretty solid and Voices of Babylon has some good stuff on it. Lost track of them until a couple years ago when I found them in the used bin. A release titled 'Any Time Now' from 2006. Its just ok, actually has a few nice tracks, but I don't think Ive listened to it all the way through yet.

I'm always weary when I read things like "so and so is said to have hit an impressive creative streak— penning a prolific number of new songs"... I will try before I buy on this one...