The Outta Sorts - The Outta Sorts EP / The Trouble With Love EP

 

(This review first appeared in issue #69 of Shindig! magazine.)

The first two releases from this San Francisco garage-punk trio compensate for their lack of subtlety with speed, attitude and spirited enthusiasm. The eponymous debut has two tracks of '77 style melodic punk on the A-side - 'Good With Bad Habits' and 'Hot Ticket' both setting the scuzz factor high. The flip-side has two tracks featuring the band's more twangy, dark rockabilly side with plenty of Bigsby tremolo action on the guitar solo of 'Feeling Difficult' and some Scotty Moore-style moves on 'Party In The Sky'.

Follow-up The Trouble With Love EP contains a format-stretching five songs, the title track channelling early Kinks via both melody and the ripped speaker sound. Then a couple of short punky blasts before 'Snow Covered Dreams' with its folk-punk Nuggets feel. Also of note is the should-I-stay-or-go homesick love-letter to Georgia in 'San Francisco Is An Iceberg'. It won't change your life but is pretty good fun.