Originally released a year ago, Rare Breed’s ‘Out of The Question’ is a pop punk banger that’s now getting a much deserved second round of promotion as part of Reaction Management’s brace of summer singles.
On this track, the Stockton On Tees four piece revisit the pop punk sounds of the 90s, but redress them with a pleasingly DIY production sound which brings out a rawer edge to the riffs. The punchy, punky number is driven by an abrasive rhythm guitar and relentlessly crashy drums, immediately recalling a more lo-fi take on earlier blink-182 and Neck Deep inspired sounds, but a very English accent really helps to give Rare Breed a different feel in comparison to their influences. The vocals attack with a harder edge on the chorus, which is a necessity to stand against the sharper guitar parts, but they always remain mindful of the melody in hand, and the buoyant arrangement really brings out the best in Alex Graham’s delivery. For fans of older pop punk, though, its the middle eight that’ll likely stand out when the twin guitars hit upon more of a jangle based sound – albeit briefly – and the band’s sense of broad melody finally starts to break free from the track’s punkier aspects. Factoring in a huge bass rattle midway, this tune shows off a pleasingly varied arrangement that gives each band member a moment in the spotlight without feeling needlessly flashy.
Not to be confused with the old school Dundee based punks with the same name, this Rare Bree sound really sharp on this single. The influences may be obvious in places, and the sound very familiar throughout, but ‘Out of The Question’ deserves to have a place as a part of your late summer soundtrack for ’24.
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