Music Review – 1so-Static’s ‘Outcast’

The art of writing music for the stage is a very tricky one. The songwriter can’t necessarily abide within the same territory they may typically; the music must lend itself to a stage production. This often means anthemic lyricism, intense instrumentation, and bombastic vocal delivery. 1so-Static, an independent guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter, pens music for rock musicals. One such piece is ‘Outcast,’ a tune written for a musical entitled ‘Papillon.’

My initial reaction to ‘Outcast’ was a double-take to make sure I wasn’t actually listening to Phil Collins. I’m not kidding, 1so-Static must have spun ‘Face Value’ a few times through before writing this song. Those punchy, bass-heavy percussion pieces are mixed like something right out of 1981, and their accompanying electric guitar riffs are equally evocative of the era. Even 1so-Static’s vocals are Collins-esque.

If it wasn’t written for the stage, I’d argue that ‘Outcast’ is two minutes too long and overly repetitive. One run-through of the song is going to cement the chorus into your mind for weeks, because the song is, quite honestly, mostly only a chorus embodied in thick, dramatic instrumentation. For the stage, however, I can absolutely see how this would be performed and delivered. It’s catchy, easy to remember, and theatrical. The long stretches of guitar licks and thunderous percussion allow room for stage action to take place, too.

The production of ‘Outcast’ is sharp and nicely organized, though it doesn’t take too many risks or leaps. That said, one could definitely argue that said leaps would create a difficulty transposing the piece for stage use. Thus, I find myself again conceding to some of my typical critiques in favor of the purpose of this song. Ultimately, a song must always be judged on its intended purpose. For use in a play, the entirety of ‘Outcast’ would likely be quite effective.

‘Outcast’ sounds like something you may hear out of ‘Rock of Ages.’ (The successful 2006 musical, not the 1972 album from The Band.) That’s a good thing; 1so-Static harnesses all those bits and pieces of classic rock in a recognizable fashion. In doing so, he’s wrapped up a nice little package that I can only imagine is quite fun when utilized on stage.

By Brett Stewart

I’m a professional writer and editor, a journalism major, and I have extensive experience in musical review. I worked for two years as the Editor & Chief of an arts magazine, Strike Magazine, where I worked closely with writers and musicians. Through this, I was able to interact with dozens of acts including Heart, Holly Williams, Robert Cray, John Hiatt, and more. The magazine printed thousands of issues and was even recognized by Rolling Stone’s founder, Jann Wenner.