Though florid instrumentation and Tom Pacheco‘s occasional tendency to lapse into spoken word mar several tracks, The Outsider is a generally strong second effort. Songs like “Hello, Grandpa,” which show off his resonant, distinctive vocals, indicate just how affecting a lyricist he can be. And “Birdseye Heaven,” one of a handful of science fiction numbers here, exhibits an instantly endearing brand of original humor. Those and a few others of these tunes certainly merit an A rating. I only wish they all did.