I’m not sure if they themselves ever thought it would happen, but Minneapolis barnstormers The Rockford Mules have reunited and released the brand-new record ‘The Last Camaro’. This leg-stomping EP comes 13 years after the band’s last full-length album, the excellent ‘Ma, They Broke Me’, which saw the band at their hard-riffing best. Back then they shared stages with top names such as Soul Asylum, The Violent Femmes, Fu Manchu and many others.
Since then, members of the group have remained creative. Frontman Erik Tasa has produced some excellent contemplative and melancholic solo releases – sometimes under his own name, sometimes not, sometimes available on online platforms, and then sometimes not (I wrote a piece last year about the album ‘Murky’ under the name Mudfoot Barker, which has since disappeared – this is a reminder, Erik!). Guitarist Ryan Rud has also been releasing solo material under the name Frequency Collisions, where he has explored more instrumental and progressive paths. He also presents the podcast The Rabbit Hole.
All of their output has been great and deserves willing ears, but obviously, the need to rock is an itch that just has to be scratched – and there is a lot of scratching going on in these five tracks. The band describes this as “a 70s rock-infused ode and celebration to a time when your band was your family.” And that’s exactly what it is – a short but sweet selection of songs to get you up and dancing, from the ballsy opener and first single ‘Leave the Dirt On’ to the grooving ‘Honeydripper’.
The EP closes with the beautiful title track, a slow and moving piece that would sit perfectly among one of Erik Tasa’s solo offerings. After 13 years, supporters of the band may have been hoping for a few more songs – but these 19 and half minutes say everything that needs to be said. There is no lull, no weak spot or filler, just simply five songs that take you on a ride through everything that the Rockford Mules serve up best – a fist full of rock with more than a little soul.
Buy The Album:Here
Author: Craggy Collyde
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