Color Out is the solo project of Chicago-based singer/songwriter Dave Hedrick. Trafficking in the sounds of emo and pop-punk, Hedrick writes and records all of the Color Out material himself at home. The Color Out EP was the project’s first release.
Opening track “Mercurial” is a relentless rocker in the vein of early-aughts pop-punk, featuring AJ Perdomo on lead vocals. The slight edge on his vocal performance helps bridge the classic quiet-loud divide of the verse and chorus sections contributing an intensity that seems to continue escalating as the song goes along. The dense but uncomplicated guitar arrangement and pushed-to-the-limit production gives the song a radio-ready feel, which no doubt contributed to the track’s significant success on streaming platforms. “Anything but Everything” omits the drums for nearly its first minute, leaving the brittle rhythm guitar as the lone instrumental under the lead vocal. It’s understandable why Hedrick had Perdomo come in for “Mercurial” once you hear this track—aside from the triumphant scream that first appears about halfway through, Hedrick’s vocal performance has a sweeter, fuller character, no less expressive but lacking the grit Perdomo offers. The instrumentation has a broader range here as well, covering more middle ground and clinging to the simplicity of the clean guitar sounds. “Ghosts” also plays with a diversity of guitar textures, opening with twinkling clean arpeggios and moving into richly overdriven chugging as the chorus opens up. The brisk drum part that slows for the chorus helps give “Ghosts” a tension-and-release that furthers its emotional impact. Hedrick works himself up to a great scream towards the end as well, crowning the track with a final expression of the track’s pained passion. “By Your Side” brings acoustic guitar and redolent strings into Color Out’s vocabulary, introducing a more introspective character than the previous tracks. Hedrick leans even further into the gentleness he’s capable of on vocals, moving from a soft lower register to a soaring conclusion over the course of the song, but retaining the clean sweetness that keeps “By Your Side” firmly in ballad territory. It’s a great way to shake up the pace and demonstrate the breadth of what the Color Out project has to offer. “Winter Chill” implements a heavily effected guitar and a brisk, electronic-sounding drum sequence, giving the track a poppy-er vibe than the more rock-centric material elsewhere on the record. The drums almost give the track an R&B feel when combined with the yearning, emotional vocals. The song may also be better for the lack of a driving rhythm guitar, letting the floating post-rock guitar lines sit in a more ethereal context. Though it’s furthest from the ‘core’ sound on Color Out, it’s a powerful demonstration of Hedrick’s diverse talents. Closer “Pretense” returns to a more traditional feel and instrumentation with overdriven guitars laying a chugging foundation and emotional arpeggios. Hedrick sneaks in a great sing-along moment with huge ‘hey’ shouts begging to be emotionally hollered from the audience towards the stage. The tight harmonies and even brief glimpses of piano give the proceedings an extra air of polish. Ultimately Hedrick proves his wealth of skills on Color Out, capably synthesizing punk and indie rock sounds with pop polish and emotional heft. It’s an impressive statement from a lone creative mind, and a strong place for the project to have originated.
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