Legendary Belfast punk band The Outcasts formed in 1977, playing a mix of originals and covers. After signing with local punk label Good Vibrations for the “Just Another Teenage Rebel” single, their popularity was boosted by airplay via John Peel, paving the way for their debut LP, Self Conscious Over You. Full of teenage angst and romantic fixations, there’s a nod to social issues on The Cops Are Comin’, but the album mostly deals with the agonies and ecstasies of teenage life. Capturing the band at their rawest and most unfiltered, there are jagged edges galore and hints of greater glories—worth revisiting for all fans of Belfast punk.
