The opening chords of “Summer,” the first track on Calling Morocco’s debut Outside of Providence, feel saturated with sunlight. The party anthem gives way to ballads of heartbreak, guilt over causing heartbreak, drunken rambles, and life on the road.
Punknews compares Calling Morocco to The Gaslight Anthem, which I can’t say I disagree with. Kyle Olson’s impassioned vocals can certainly give Brian Fallon a run for his money. However, where Fallon paints vignettes in his mythical New Jersey world, Calling Morocco sticks to true-to-life anthems. On the spectrum of alt-country-punk-whatever that Calling Morocco places itself in, I’d say they fall more into pop punk territory. Some songs, like “Longtime Listener” integrate a slide guitar into the pop feel of the music. Others, like “Truer Than That” are more solidly country-fried. The album ends on a strong note with “Home,” which I feel is the most successful at combining the pop punk that Calling Morocco embraces and the country tones that they angle toward. Between the musical range and the variety of themes on this short album, you’ll definitely find a song to capture your mood, whatever that may be.