image courtesy of Pavement Entertainment

Single Review of The Outfit: “Hard On Me” (Pavement Entertainment)

Not long ago, you read my review of Go, last year’s album from The Outfit. The Chicago rockers are back with a new single, “Hard On Me.” This is The Outfit’s first release with new lead singer Bill Wilson, and the band doesn’t miss a beat. Wilson’s voice is an ideal fit for a top-shelf ’80s-reminiscent hard rock outfit like The Outfit. Wilson seems to fit seamlessly with his new bandmates Matt Nawara (lead guitar), Mark Nawara (drums), and Mike Gorman (bass).

Musically, “Hard On Me” has a sidewinding guitar style, with the opening verse rocking hard in bursts, using blank space as a powerful additional instrument. It’s a relatively blues-based hard rock take that seems a natural fit for a Chicagoland band. Well-placed key changes, absolutely crunchy axework, and a steady rhythm steer the musical direction of the song, while there’s a very Eric Martin-ish edge to Wilson’s voice whenever the song calls for him to build up the power from one line to the next. I can absolutely hear Mr. Big potentially performing this song. But not necessarily better than The Outfit does. This is an impeccable performance of a thumpin’ classic hard rock tune. It’s no wonder the song is gaining some attention – as I write this, “Hard On Me” sits at #18 on the Secondary Market Rock Chart.

Classic ’80s guitar-based hard rock fans are going to love “Hard On Me,” so be sure to check it out. (And then maybe give my review of the band’s last full-length album, Go, a quick read.)