Black Kids
Rookie
Reviewed by Lauren Rosier
What has been nine years in the making has been a tumultuous experience for lead vocalist Reggie Youngblood of the synth-pop band, Black Kids. A few members of the band explored side projects while Youngblood coped with his writer’s block.
Rookie begins where Partie Traumatic left off. The first single from the Black Kids’ sophomore full-length delivers its first party song in “Obligatory Drugs”, an infectious genre-hopping blend of electronic and indie rock music.
The album begins with the track “IFFY” where Youngblood sings about how love and relationships can lead to pain: “love causes so much pain/and I’ve got so much love to give”. The band’s infectious melodies and raw vocals shine on the track “In a Song” where Youngblood pleads “I don’t want to fight anymore/just take my hand/please tell me everything, my love” and admits “I hate to tell you in a song/that I love you”.
There’s no shortage of love songs on Rookie, but is more lyrically raw and earnest then Partie. The band shows they can easily switch gears from synth-heavy tracks (“If My Heart Is Broken” and “Rookie”) to ‘90’s dance (a la Ace of Base) on “All the Emotions”, an upbeat, danceable track.
The track “Illin’” is one of the best tracks on the record; from its infectious layered beat to Youngblood’s vocals, the song has various layers that create this cohesive, tight sound.
Rookie sticks to the Black Kids’ signature sound, while also being able to seamlessly genre-hop without sounding like they’re imitating. Rookie is a collection that won’t disappoint longtime Black Kids’ fans and will draw in new fans with their infectious musicianship, beats and raw lyricism.
Rating: Bad-Ass
Members: Reggie Youngblood, Owen Holmes, Ali Youngblood, Dawn Watley, Kevin Snow
Black Kids are currently on tour and will be performing at the Boot & Saddle on October 24th with Surf Rock is Dead.
