This could be a fantastic tour for Outfit – they’ve got a great soundman at the controls, they are full of confidence and they’ve selected a fabulous set of songs, embellishing new ones from recent album, Slowness and cherry picking from first album, Performance.

 

They are an exceptional set of musicians; bass player Chris Hutchinson leading the way with effortlessly sly and slinky funk that is never less than the most solid of rocks for the rest of the band. And, when he really gets on it, he is simply mesmeric: his hands a graceful flash of light across the frets, with his playing on the euphoric Two Islands is really something to behold.

 

It’s hard to find fault with anything in the set. Opener New Air is muscular and dynamic with an added 3D element to its sound, Framed and Slowness are beautifully controlled as the latter is played with great attention to detail; the band carefully making space for each other to shine at the appropriate moment.

 

The irrepressible groove that is distinctly Outfit is in full flowing force in older songs such as Elephant Days and Thank God I Was Only Dreaming, and Smart Thing benefits from being raised a few BPM to lift the excitement levels.

 

But what I’m most blown away with is the band’s ability to take things to a higher sonic level. Final song of the set, Swam Out, is particularly commanding as its fantastic instrumental outro is stretched to exhilarating effect. Happy Birthday sees its initially mournful balladry organically grow into huge, powerful swathes of coruscating grandness.

 

Outfit are an incredibly exciting live prospect. If they are playing in your town, go and see them. If they are playing vaguely near your town, go and see them!

Adam Atkins