For those who cut their punk rock teeth on records by
Pennywise and
NOFX, parts of
Companions to Devils and Saints -- the debut album by
Outlie -- will sound familiar. Steered by
Good Riddance guitarist
Luke Pabich, the group delivers a number of muscular punk songs that balance melody with disillusionment. The old-school energy that propels "Forgotten Man" makes it nothing but memorable, and that same immediacy gives life to songs like "Anxieties..." and "Whipping Boy." But it's
Outlie's experimental numbers like "Find My Way" -- replete with musical mood shifts -- and the dramatic, meandering "Run With the Wolves" that give
Pabich, drummer
Sean Sellers (ex-
Good Riddance), onetime
Lonely Kings bassist Jesse Darling, and lead guitarist Donavan Cole (once of the Last Season) an opportunity to look to the future and put the depth of their wares on display.