Rob’s Album Of The Week: Rookie

Nostalgia can go one of two ways. It can bring someone joy in a way that evokes a certain memory from the past. It can also be dismissed as unoriginal while often breeding some snobby reactions. What about a band with a bunch of youngins playing ’70s era rock & roll, and in a really good way too? Maybe it’s a question that will stump the snobs but Chicago act Rookie are looking to do just that with their self-titled debut that was released off of their hometown label Bloodshot Records on March 13.

An intriguing thing about Rookie is the musical background of some of their members. Max Loebman, who is the songwriting nucleus of the band on vocals and guitar, was in the garage soul act Yoko & The Oh Nos. Drummer Joe Bordenaro was in the Late Bloomers and bassist Kevin Decker has performed with the garage punk dynamos Twin Peaks. Rookie’s sound has that garage rock vibe due to the rawness of it but there are numerous progressions and elements that give it a sheen of originality. It’s an approach reminiscent of acts like the Allman Brothers Band, Canned Heat and dare I say it, the Grateful Dead.

So, how’s COVID-19 treating you these days? You going stir crazy yet? I’m probably speaking for a lot of people when I say that I’m trying my hardest to not lose my mind. It’s scary and the combination of uncertainty and the unknown fuels a lot of anxiety. How do you…