Marking their first new released material in 16 years, pop-punk pioneers Rufio sound like no time has passed since the glorious days of early aughts Warped Tour. Boasting their exceptional technical skills underlying their most well-rounded lyrics to date, From The Outside is the perfect balance between nostalgia and sharp, contemporary perspective. The hooks are clean, the choruses are catchy, and Rufio has found new shades to their sound that resonate with both new and longstanding fans.
Gracing every hallowed festival stage with fellow generation-defining acts, Rufio could easily rest on their laurels. As major players in a genre defined by hair-trigger emotion and raw delivery, Rufio’s new EP From The Outside is anchored by growth and the lessons that life brings. The 5 new tracks that make up the EP are all post-skinny jean gems that with the same power the band is known for and include a depth that make them so much more than simple nostalgic one-offs.
Preceded by the single “Maps”, From The Outside was poised to deliver Rufio’s signature high-energy, guitar-driven, sing-along stylings that placed them amongst the best of their contemporaries. What follows “Maps” are 4 more tracks that match the same high-calibre and also offer a more refined perspective from the band. Exchanging coming-of-age angst with measured adult anxiety, and the folly of falling apart with the constitution to grow, From The Outside represents the next evolution of Rufio without being convoluted or forcibly grasping onto the past.
From The Outside contains all the sounds of the Rufio that millennials grew up with and production makes their technical skills shine through amongst the fast and powerful tones. What really sets the new EP apart, is the tempered and reflective lyrics it contains. The EP’s title track “From The Outside” is a deeply personal song about loss, grief, and learning to live with it. “Last Goodbye” is a theme song for anyone whose anxiety and self-awareness have caused more than a few sleepless nights. Perhaps the song that carries the most immediate resonance is “The Worst” as it describes that person that everyone knows. Bookending the EP is “Another Letdown” which is both a sonic and substantial banger. Closing out this all-too-short EP, ‘Another Letdown’ centers on the closing of a chapter, but not necessarily feeling closure with it.
From The Outside sounds like a blast from the past while also being firmly rooted in the present. Though 25 years have passed since the band’s landmark album Perhaps, I Suppose…, Rufio has found a deeper resonance with their day-ones and has also created a soaring introduction for new fans. To an old head, From The Outside feels like a personalized gift from years ago, but it holds too much weight to be gatekept. Even if another 16 years go by before another release, From The Outside is proof that Rufio is always worth the wait.
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Formed in Rancho Cucamonga, California in 2000.
