Ask In & Outlaws guitarist Matthew Rose how long his band has been together, and he’ll quickly reply “too long, man.”
That wry note of world-weariness seems fitting for an outlaw C&W quartet that, based on its “illicit and under the table” new CD, finds cause for gloom at nuptials (“I Always Cry at Weddings”), rhymes “baby mama” with “comma,” and makes a trucker’s Georgia murder spree (“Devil Down in Me”) sound like a fun road adventure.
With Saustex honcho Jeff Smith setting up the mics, the band blew through an album’s worth of tracks in a couple of days. “It just sat in the can for ages and everybody was getting down on it, but I just said, ‘Fuck it, we’ve got to get this together,’” Rose says. The self-titled disc arrives just in time for a mini-Gulf-Coast swing that will take the In & Outlaws to New Orleans, Lake Charles, Lafayette, and Houston.
Fans of old-school twang will surely appreciate Gordon Waid’s young George Jones hiccups, Rose’s Duane Eddy-meets-Buddy Holly licks, Lloyd Walsh’s slap-into-submission standup bass, and the solid beats and songwriting contributions of drummer Brad Turner.
The In & Outlaws will officially celebrate the release of their CD on September 4 at Casbeers.