So Adult – Rookie
so adult - rookie
In the past So Adult have been compared to the Replacements, the highly influential Minneapolis rock band that ruled during the dawn of what we now call American “alternative” music. Although the comparison is valid, to put the two bands side by side would be a disservice to So Adult. The band definitely wears their influences on their sleeves, but do everything that their forebears did right and maintain the elements that made old-school pop-punk so great; clever lyrics, catchy melodies, and youthful abandon. Combine this with an extremely raw sound, and you get the infectious So Adult formula and a new band that this town should welcome with open arms.
Their first release, which is only available on cassette and is limited to 150 copies, is titled Rookie. The cover is graced by the image of Ken Griffey Jr.’s highly coveted rookie card, and the album itself is almost a conceptual ode to tapes in the way the songs are interspersed with the sounds of tapes rewinding and stopping. The four songs themselves are wonderful slices of energetic punk rock with catchy guitar and vocal melodies that stubbornly stick in the listener’s head. Right off the bat chugging guitar slashes begin the first track, “Citizen’s Arrest,” as lead singer Joe Olmstead spits out his earnest frustration and ennui with his vitriolic rasp. From there the EP never let’s up.
Every single one of the four songs sticks out. “Scartruck” starts out as a mid-tempo rocker that eventually speeds up and ends in a triumphant and fiery punk rock blaze. “We Won’t” has some of the band’s best and most melodious guitar work, and has many multi-faceted parts that show off the accomplished songwriting chops of such a young group.
The best moment of the album may be the track titled “Winged.” The song perfectly describes the frustration and fear of celebrating an un-happy birthday, before an incredibly catchy and exultant chorus strikes up to lift both the song’s narrator and the listener into a brief moment of fist-pumping glory. It is truly a remarkable tune, both lyrically and melodically. After Olmstead desperately describes “…25 empty bottles. Not a drip missed my lips,” he then takes flight in the chorus, fighting against his own world-weariness, and it is hard for the listener to not identify wholeheartedly. Although the entire tape is stellar, a song like “Winged” would even make Paul Westerberg jealous.
Although So Adult may choose an antiquated format for their music (the cassette does come with a digital download), and relish a sound that harkens back to a bygone era, they have released an album that sounds wonderfully refreshing. Track it down before it disappears.
Self Released
www.myspace.com/soadultnow
