Outhouse's debut album, Welcome, is a superb record. In listening to this album, I thought to myself, "Could there possibly be a better way to make a first impression?" I don't really think so.
A three-piece rock group from Kansas City, Outhouse inspire new thought in rock, at least to me. Their unique songwriting and real lyrics are a switch from the old alternative methods of "here's a riff, mumble some words".
Welcome has 13 different songs, different in sound, and different from each other. A reason this album differs from others is the length of songs. Most of Outhouse's songs average three minutes, while songs by other bands stretch too long. It's a refreshing change.
Ah, yes, the songs. When listened to repeatedly, the lyrics imply deep introspection. The music is great, not too heavy, not too soft, and some great hooks. It's hard to pick out the better songs, because they all are quite good. Well, I'll give it a shot. Some of the "better" songs on Welcome are the title track, with its catchy vocal hook, the Paul Westerberg -inspired "Nowhere Man", "Savior" and "Lie".
Well, I've pretty much summed it up, so if you'd like to get hooked on a new band before MTV gets to them, hurry down to your local record store.
Consumable was able to catch up with Bill Latas, guitarist and lead vocalist of Outhouse and get a few comments from him. Here's some of the feedback:
Consumable: The standout track is "Nowhere Man", which is much like an early Replacements song. How much has Westerberg or the 'Mats influenced your records?
Outhouse: Paul's songwriting has influenced me and the rest of us greatly. I don't think we try to sound like that but just the quality of those songs!!!!! Man if I can ever write em that good! You know, "Nowhere Man" sounds like that because of the way we play it. Sometimes we'll do it slow like a ballad and it takes on a whole new vibe. But yes, the 'Mats RULE!
C: The searing guitars remind me of the "Seattle sound", but the lyrics are realistically hopeful, rather than wasting away. What's your feelings on lyrics which are deliberately depressing?
OUT: I think anything deliberate other than honesty is just plain borish. Anymore, it seems to be the trend but I also feel that artists are moving away from that. Just the same, to write a "happy" song if you're not happy is bullshit. I find it amazing how easy it is to spot someone who is not being honest in their art. Either something hits me deep inside or it just hits the wall behind me, ya know? I also know that someone could listen to our music and it might wind up on their living room wall when I'm bearing my soul in a song and I absolutely mean what I'm saying.
I guess it is in the delivery. Some will tell a story in a song that has no first person perspective but you take that story like it was the absolute truth. I've always admired that in writers. Even fiction can be honest. So, to say "I'm going to write depressing lyrics because I think I should" is ridiculous. Yeah, I think that I'm ultimately hopeful in my lyrics because that is what I truly feel and believe.
C: On "Savior", you sing "What about my savior, laying down and waiting? / What about my savior, where is he now?" Is this a questioning of God through the eyes of a poor or downtrodden person? Labelmate Joan Osborne got into a bind with "One Of Us", asking much less pointed questions.
OUT: I hate to admit this but I tried NOT to make "Savior" into a song about faith. I couldn't do it. That was what was on my mind. I was always taught that to have "faith" was the one thing that you could always fall back on. When everything else seemed hopeless, you could still have faith and in my life, I have felt that. That has seen me through. Now, that is speaking of faith in-general which most of the song can be held as. However I'll spare you the asking and go ahead and say that, yes, the bridge is describing, in first person, the Crucifixion. What a visual, huh?
I was a while ago, very into Christianity and what I'm saying in this part of the song is that I'm questioning all of that now. "Turn my head against my will, and run like hell but I still know just where he is, God rest my soul." I guess I'm also asking for forgiveness at the same time as I'm running away from that. To get back to your question, it's not so much a questioning of God at all as much as it's a questioning of my own beliefs. It's a man at the end of his rope, yet still wanting to let go and also knowing that someone will catch him. Strange world I live in, huh?
C: Does it concern you that this song might raise people's concerns?
OUT: It raised my concern enough to write the lyrics and I only hope that other people will ask the same questions about themselves regardless of the answers. I'm not worried about any stigma or connotations from the song. I'll speak my mind and what I find to be true for me and if people can relate, cool. If not, too bad...I mean the whole song started from an idea that I got one day while driving. I saw a sign that said "lost dog found today" in someone's yard. I also saw that sign the next day and knew that it was lying purely because it said "today" and I had seen it yesterday! You can't believe in every sign you see...although it's twisted because one day, that sign was true and the next, it wasn't. Go figure...
C: Which bands are your inspirations, or favorites before being a group?
OUT: As a kid it was Kiss, Rush, and then U2. I think we all come from the age of huge arena shows and big productions. I love that stuff. I mean seeing a band in a club is great. But the big stuff? Oh yeah! Trip Shakespeare that will always hold a special place in my life; genius stuff!
C: Was there ever any apprehension about signing with a major label, as opposed to an indie?
OUT: Mercury, so far, has been absolutely great to us and I think we really have a shot at a long term thing here. There was no apprehension in signing to a major, either. We knew that this was right. It FELT right. We held out and waited on some other things. We have always made good decisions; that has been critical in achieving our goals. You have to be smart. The only thing that worries me with a major is the commitment to a long term build. I hope that we can construct a career instead of just a couple of records and I know that we have to keep writing great records to do that. I don't think that will be a problem, either.
