Gun Outfit are good and attractive, too.
Nov 4, 2009 Berlin 3nd July
Posted by
vice
Like most records put out by Dean Spunt’s Post Present Medium label, Gun Outfit’s “Dim Light” is an excellent, refreshing mixture between what was deemed “alternative” music in the late 80s and modern pop sensibilities, filtered through limitless inventiveness, courage, tongue-in-cheek fun, and a concept of punk rock enlightened enough to embrace 5 minute, complex songs that don’t all sound alike.
Already championed by the English press (because, it seems, Americans need Brits to tell them what’s good in their own country), the three-piece from Olympia, Washington originates from a scene that seems to encompass most guitar-based rock, punk, and country of the past 30 years, without sounding contrived. X, Dinosaur Jr, Meat Puppets, Pavement, Sonic Youth, Hüsker Dü, Jawbreaker, Sebadoh, Magnetic Fields, and even the Silver Jews are all in there, rubbing shoulder to shoulder. You can really tell what the bands primary influences were, and if you like that kind of stuff, there’s no way you won’t like this either. And if you don’t like that kind of stuff, then what are you doing on this website anyway? We’re talking about the cream of American “indie”, or “alternative”, or “whatever you want to call interesting, noisy, guitar-based music that still has a modicum of humility and respect for melody and song structure” music. Well, that’s what they do. It seems to me that Gun Outfit know exactly what they’re doing and know what kind of music they want to play, but also know that they can’t just go ahead and rip-off the music they like in order to do that. In some way, the approach they manage to come up with is always refreshing, never derivative. Their choices―because that’s what music is all about, really: choice―are smart and unexpected, familiar, but never boring. And what is absolutely unbelievable to me is that this is a band at their first album. They sound like J Mascis and Steve Malkmus and Lou Barlow and Stephin Merritt and Thurston Moore all jamming in a kitchen, but no― they’re just three kids who got together and got it absolutely right. Oh, and, before I sign off, one more thing: they are all incredibly attractive, too. Heck, to me, this is one of the debuts of the year so far. This and Sleepy Sun’s debut. That record is absolutely bonkers. So please, go ahead and buy them both.
