If you’re looking for an excellent rock record to blast during summer that might provoke profound thoughts as the night progresses, Rodeo Boys have you covered
Laura Glipin’s powerful poem “Two-Headed Calf” inspired Rodeo Boys’ first single from Junior, a raucous heartbreaker of an album that has staked a claim for one of my favorite albums of the year. The Lansing, Michigan-based band self-describes as “the sound of a quiet rebellion of a queer, blue-collar heart” and “what happens when the Miller High Life gets legs and starts walking around”, and this is apt. Junior‘s bending of blue-collar rock to its own will is fresh and thrilling. Fans of Mannequin Pussy, Wednesday, Destroy Boys, and the Hold Steady take note. Junior could be your new favorite record.
Lead singer Tiff Hannay’s got a classic rock front-person voice. Their vocals tie this collection of songs together beautifully. Every crack of heartbreak stings, every moment of temporary relief or triumph registers. The rest of the band, guitarist Caleb Shook, bassist Taylor Doty, and drummer Christian Urabazzo, deliver the type of driving power pop and driving rock that is taken for granted but takes a particular alchemy to master. Producer Tom May of the Menzingers, who knows a thing or two about crafting a blue-collar punk anthem themselves, leaves just the right amount of grit on the songs.
Thematically, this collection of songs covers a lot of ground, all from a queer masculine perspective. About half the tracks are tales of revenge, and the other half focus on gay love and queer identity. After a brief introduction, “Sam’s Song” goes all the way into the deep end, its lyrics describing an abusive relationship from the outside. Its Replacements-ish riff instantly works its way into your brain, before Hannay threatens “I wanna kill you / If it kills me.”
“Let Down” and “Speedway” crackle with energy and tension and deliver memorable choruses. “Venus Fly Trap” is a power pop gem about that person you can’t seem to get over, and “Peonies” is another anthemic rocker with powerful vocals from Hannay that isn’t too far off from some of the most memorable Mannequin Pussy songs. A pair of tracks, “Crystal Pt. 1” and “Crystal Pt. 2”, provide the most aggressive and prettiest moments on the record, respectively, and “Cowgirl in the Dark”, a raging tribute to Pamela Anderson.
The highlight and centerpiece of Junior is “All American Man”, a towering, anthemic, but heartbreaking assertion of identity. That mix of big hooks and heartrending lyrics is, in a sense, the record’s mission statement. It is powerful and beautiful, endlessly replayable. Hannay’s mix of vulnerability and resolve is never better used than on this track. It is easy to see why “All American Man” was chosen to introduce the world to Junior. It encapsulates the duality of the themes Hannay is wrestling with throughout the record.
The final track is an instrumental that provides a little much-needed reflection time. It works similarly to how the Afghan Whigs‘ “Brother Woodrow” closes Gentlemen, a few minutes of music that encourages the listener to reflect on the journey of the preceding tracks.
For those who listen carefully to lyrics, Hannay’s heart is on the sleeve of their flannel. For those looking for an excellent rock record to blast during summer months that might also provoke more profound thoughts as the night progresses, Rodeo Boys have that covered, too. Junior is a powerful statement from a unique perspective, making it essential listening.