by Dan Goldin (@paintingwithdan)
It has been two years and one great The United States of America cover since Richmond’s Outer World released their space-age psychedelic pop debut, Who Does The Music Love?. In the intervening years, the duo of Kenneth Close (Positive No) and Tracy Wilson (Dahlia Seed, Positive No) have kept the project bubbling, developing their live sound as the pair expanded to a most capable sextet, bringing the nuance of their recordings into the swirling world of their performances. Having recently released “La Dimora” back in April, the band return today to announce their new album HOME, due out September 18th via Wilson’s own Courtesy Desk and the legendary K Records, a record that finds its home wherever it can, a place of comfort, a state of rest, a moment of peace.
While there’s warmth to be found at home (and while listening to HOME), Outer World aren’t exactly aiming toward tranquility on the record’s lead single, “Present Perfect Future Past,” a song built on collective revolution, a call to action from the duo and their co-conspirators. With a thick cloud of warbling grit, dimly lit surf-laced garage psych, and keys that feel washed in from another place and time, Outer World are able to drift from one reality to the next, as they make an imperative call for change. Blending layers of retro futurism together with a soft focus dissonance, the band balance post-punk’s looming shadows with the radiance of bent exuberant pop.
Speaking about the song, Outer World shared:
“‘Present Perfect Future Past’ is not a song of a voice alone. There are many voices here, and their movement is growing. It is a song about bodies, souls, and minds working together in a world with no predictable future and for which there is no beginning, middle, or end. The essential experience of this message is a willingness to live under the burden of change, to carry it out, and to articulate the power found in their numbers.
We are the revolution. We are all connected. We are the center. This “revolution has a rhythm,” and it will move you. It is now, and now is perfect because it is all we have.”
Catch Outer World on tour:
09/18 - Richmond, VA @ Fuzzy Cactus
09/19 - Durham, NC @ Shadowbox Studio
09/20 - Charlotte, NC @ Snug Harbor
09/22 - Athens, GA @ Flicker Theatre
09/23 - Birmingham, AL @ Seasick Records
09/24 - Nashville, TN @ DRKMTTR
09/25 - Memphis, TN @ Gonerfest (WISEACRE Brewing Company HQ)
09/26 - Louisville, KY @ Kaiju
09/27 - Columbus, OH @ Rambling House Music Bar
10/09 - Washington, DC @ DC Brau