Outlaw by Hound

New Orleans-based punk quartet Hound lead into their debut OUTLAW with caustic, clean guitar before a siren of roaring feedback launches into seven songs of impressive fury, all mean as hell and, occasionally, surprising.

Over the fifteen minute duration of the album, Hound wear their hardcore influences on their sleeves with tracks like “Buttpuncher” and “Dog in Heat” nodding respectfully towards Reagan-era Circle Jerks and Gorilla Biscuits with lean, wild riffs anchoring chaos. At the center of the assault is frontman Jack Long’s frenzied yowl, which punches through the feedback with just the right amount of clarity.

The production is satisfying, the needle set between brittle grit and hissing distortion. The songs rarely pass two minutes and leave a lasting punch without overstaying their welcome. It’s interesting throughout, with hooks snapping into crushing breakdowns like the crack of a whip.

For all the cues taken out of the hardcore cookbook, OUTLAW stands out by balancing four-on-the floor riffs with brief segways into post-punk territory. “Kaboose” has a jittery dance hook that plunges into overdriven freak-outs, and standout closer “Salacious” throws away the formula of earlier ragers with an infectious guitar melody that sounds more like Ice Age than Minor Threat, with tight crescendoes and a blistering solo that prove Hound aren’t afraid to break rules on their first of hopefully many more.

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