With the titular single and Past Lives debut album now out, Florence-based Out Run have exploded onto the alt-pop scene. And I say alt-pop, because as infectious and brilliant as their music is, it is wonderfully and willfully just out of step with modern fads and fashion, somehow both behind the zeitgeist thanks to some clever nods to the 80’s golden age of pop adventure and also way ahead of it due to its beguiling sound and smart creative choices.
Opener, “Monster” might tip its hat, probably a natty fedora worn at a rakish angle, to that once much maligned but now reappraised decade, but it does so in such a way that this isn’t just the plundering of past glories, more the logical continuation of that decade across the generations. But then along comes “Heart Shaped Glass,” which is about as cool, contemporary, and cutting-edge as you can get.
The title track blends early synth experimentation with spacious and sophisticated modernity, “Dreams” is the sound of the New Romantics covering one of Fleetwood Mac’s most famous songs, only doing it with an unexpected grace…and Ginevra Abbarchini’s vocals seem to sit simultaniously comfortably in both worlds and “D’istanti” is a timeless, multi-lingual piece of seductive, gentle dancefloor groove.
And what does all this blending and juxtaposition prove? It proves that whilst Out Run understands precisely where they are coming from, their focus is fixed firmly on where they are heading. And where they are heading looks like a wonderful place to be.
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