South Chicago’s very own grunge band Chout have released their latest LP, Dogwater. I get rather troubled when the grunge moniker is used or a band is likened to the 90s era, I judge straight away, I cannot help it, it’s my nature.
Researching these guys, it turns out that lead singer Brendan Maier formed the band in 2018 after spending time treading the boards in an Alice in Chains tribute band along with performing in other creations. The scary part is Brendan Maier is vocally the closest to Layne Staley I’ve ever heard, and I don’t know what to make of it.
Chout is made up of four friends from elementary school who’ve been writing music since age thirteen and finally, only last year, they got together to show their love of 90s rock. This album certainly shows those influences of that period.
Let’s get this revival of the grunge party started with the first track, “Seasons”. Automatically I think it’ll be a cover of Chris Cornell’s “Seasons” and it’s not. This is a hard-hitting rock track about mental health and the struggles it causes. Brendan Maier’s voice holds serious tentative notes like a certain Mr Staley was able to – this stuff is already scary.
“All Has Been Done” changes speed with Matt Morgan showing us his dirty blues while Ross Gilsdorf’s bass echoes the sounds of the past and Maier tells us a story. The drum intros of Joe Matinez have me racking my brain of back catalogues gone by with “Thin Ice”. Chout is making music emotional with the extraordinary vocal range of this crew.
Highly influenced by the 90s sound of the genre that became a phenomenon. A sound that meant a lot to me in my hair days and still does. I focussed too much on Brendan Maier’s vocal skills which sent shivers at times down my spine as it felt like Layne had released a new record. Giving this LP a few listens, proves this is more than an AIC cover band; these guys have the clout to make a difference and performing tunes with emotion is surely the beginning of Chout’s development.
Dogwater was originally released on 3rd August 2018
Chout: official | facebook | instagram | bandcamp | youtube
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