Rookie “S/t”

We’re not really sure we need to review this album. Instead, you can just read these opening words from their PR and decide if you’re going to give this a listen….

“Rookie is six matching jumpsuit-clad, shaggy-haired friends from Chicago who play rock ’n’ roll that’s more at home next to their parents’ battered LPs than on their friends’ streaming playlists.”

If you’re still with us then you are going to absolutely LOVE opening number “Hold On Tight”. It’s a song that starts off like a modern Cheap Trick before developing into a southern boogie rock. That’s just the start of it, songs like “I Can’t Have You, But I want You”,  “Side Of The Road” and “Elementary Blues” just come across as loud and proud, flamboyant, 70’s power pop songs.

There will be many that will wonder if there’s a place in the current music scene for Rookie. But, given the success of a band like The Lemon Twiggs,  surely radio could pick up on the beautiful country pop “Sunglasses”  or  the perfect pop of “Let’s Get It Right”. They then send you on a pop daydream with the laid-back cool of “Michigan”

Every now and then a band comes along which resurrects this power pop sound (think Redd Kross, Sloan or The Last Great Dreamers). Rookie bring back that crunching power pop feel with “One Way Ticket” and the absolutely magnificent “Miss United States” (possibly the highlight of the album).

If we’re honest, we can imagine lots of music critics will approach this album with a heavy dose of cynicism. That’d be totally wrong and completely missing the point. Sod over analysing music, this is an album to bring a bit of joy into your life. So, go grab your jumpsuit and start dancing!