Outer World is the new project of Kenneth Close and Tracy Wilson, the couple previously noted as half of the Richmond, VA outfit Positive No. “Who Does the Music Love?” is Outer World’s debut, a 7-song mini-LP joining myriad other releases that were shaped by the COVID era, but with a particularly negative impact in this case; Wilson’s lungs were damaged by a bout of long COVID, effectively spelling the end of Positive No, where her vocal belting was an integral part of the weave. But in a sweet turn, Outer World is a fruitful creative reset, stylistically wide-ranging, scaled-back and yet bursting with energy. It’s out March 22 on black or blue vinyl through Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records.
On the subject of powerful pipes, Tracy Wilson strengthened hers as the vocalist for Dahlia Seed, a quite snazzy 1990s indie/ post-hardcore aggregation with a fleet, pulverizing attack and constructive underlying finesse. The eventual emergence of Positive No (as Wilson relocated from New Jersey to Richmond) brought a turn to the melodic, but this band could still let it fly and with Wilson’s prowess at the mic undiminished.
The damage done to Wilson’s lungs by long COVID serves to emphasize the range of impact the virus had across the pandemic. More than the extremes of deaths on one side and overlapping inconveniences (social distancing, remote recording, delays in recording and tours) on the other, in this case COVID robbed Wilson of what she calls her “big voice.” That she was eventually able to overcome lingering side effects and create Outer World’s new framework alongside Close is inspiring, but it’s also a reminder that others faced with similar circumstances haven’t been as lucky.
Don’t get the idea that “Who Does the Music Love?” is a quiet, timid affair. Far from it straightaway, as opener “The Drum the Beat” is a boisterous, keyboard-infused rocker with full band verve, as the live drums come courtesy of Keith Renna of Positive No and additional vocals are contributed by Lira Mondal of Sweeping Promises. Notably, Outer World’s six-song demo was honed and one more song was recorded at Sweeping Promises’ home studio in Lawrence, KS during the summer of 2022.
“The Drum the Beat” kicks forth like a party banger, but the radiating “Flower Gunpowder” blends the retro-futurist ’90s with a noirish lo-fi/ bedroom pop vibe while retaining the opener’s rhythmic drive. “Forms of Knowing” shifts into a trim pop-rocker with decidedly ’60s-ish keyboards doing battle with layers of electronics reminiscent of the ’90s Alt scene.
Something of a glitch-fest (but retaining melodic underpinnings), “Have” burrows deep into the ’90s electronica zone but with a noisy edge as Wilson oozes breathy vocal sass-flair. “The Message is the Message” returns to a pop-rock framework with an almost surfy-spy indie pop feel, while “Outer World” (always a good sign when a band has a theme song) grooves like a blend of Stereolab and Suicide drenched in ’60 fuzz and gone bubblegum but haunted by the spirit of Ray Manzarek. Swank! But it’s really Wilson’s mic swagger that brings a distinct personality to the tune.
Instead of closing this set with a predictable bang, Wilson gets even more breathy amid the swirling, echoey psychedelic-tinged spillage that shapes “Loteria,” suggesting that Outer World’s plan moving forward will be to push even further outward. If so, that’s a positive yes. “Who Does the Music Love?” is an unexpected, rousing success, and it’s altogether as satisfying as anything released by Close and Wilson’s previous band.
GRADED ON A CURVE:
A-
