Friday, October 20, 2017

“Imposter” by Down and Outlaws – A Song Review

     It’s not a common occurrence, but sometimes there is an unexpected surge of pride following the conclusion that a particular song has an impact. For us, it occurred while listening to “Imposter” on repeat. Indie Obsessive posts very few guitar-led, roots-Rock songs and there was concern that our tastes had gravitated away from such music. We don't want to see the edgy Rock image of ourselves in a rearview mirror. No problem! The track from Down and Outlaws isn’t a genre blend designed to please a wide audience. “Imposter” is a bold, aggressive, no-compromise Rock single that deserves attention.

     If someone tells you that distortion sets limits on the guitar’s ability to convey emotion, cue up “Imposter” instead of voicing your disagreement. The lyrics are an accounting of a person’s struggle with the perception of his persona – “I’ve been drawing faces upon the mirror; Cause I like to envision myself just a little bit different.” As support, the guitars paint a blues-heavy introspective picture. We particularly favor the instrumental stretch from 2:20 to 2:47, as the guitars begin aggressively, later move to a few sustained notes, then become percussive at higher frequencies (similar to Caribbean steelpans).

     Down and Outlaws are a San Francisco-based band formed of Peter Danzig (vocals, guitar), Chis Danzig (bass, backing vocals), Kyle Luck (guitar, backing vocals), and Jon Carr (drums). Peter and Chris are brothers, but we didn’t find any evidence that they are related to Glenn Danzig, the frontman of the Metal band that uses his surname. In 2016, we caught a portion of the Outside Lands performance by Down and Outlaws. It required leaving after a few songs by the band Whitney, but we didn’t regret the decision.

     “Imposter” will be on a forthcoming EP, entitled “Bad Radio,” from Down and Outlaws. The next opportunity to see Down and Outlaws is on October 27 at Brick and Mortar in San Francisco. If the name of that venue seems familiar, although you are not in the immediate SF area, it may be a result of a Bank America commercial in which two fans traveled to the venue to see New Order. A video of the commercial is embedded at the bottom of this post.  

     “Imposter” by Down and Outlaws 


      The commercial that shows Brick and Mortar:

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