Dusky’s ‘Outer’ contains some starry names, but each was employed with the intention of pushing their creative limits, while around those appearances the duo – Alfie Grainger-Howell and Nick Harriman – built a series of impressive tracks that have real stature and presence. We hear two of those, ‘All We Ever Needed’ and ‘Tiers’, before we hear from Wiley, Gary Numan and Solomon Grey, and around those ‘Songs of Phase’ makes a big impact. ‘Sort It Out Sharon’, with Wiley, is really effective, a tough beat and warehouse-style bass providing an authentic backing for the rapper’s cutthroat vocals. Grey’s contribution to ‘Long Wait’ hangs in the air with haunting intensity, while Numan’s vocal is surprisingly resigned and restrained. There are also moments where they are on the edge, like ‘Runny Nose’ – which might divide opinion with its vocals but is atmospheric nonetheless with its night-time pad sounds. These and more are constant reminders of the clubs Dusky have frequented, which form the basis of this impressive piece of work.
Ben Hogwood
4 out of 5
DUSKY – OUTER – 17 STEPS / POLYDOR
