Have you been waiting for the return of the Bottle Rockets? If you love indie-minded roots music, you have — even if you're not familiar with the veteran St. Louis band. Since the mid-1990s, Bottle Rockets bard Brian Henneman and his shifting ensemble of compadres (drummer Mark Ortmann is a constant) have been crafting heartland epics within a rock 'n' roll framework, that spill beer and stir the heart on impact. The last Bottle Rockets album — the excellent Lean Forward — came out in 2009; since then, the group has been touring, releasing acoustic music and overseeing reissues of its great early material. But the people need new Bottle Rockets, and that time has come.
To celebrate the release of South Broadway Athletic Club, the Bottle Rockets' 10th studio album, enjoy this addictive new song. "Monday (Everytime I Turn Around)" comes on like a rewrite of the Easybeats' classic "Friday On My Mind" — yet instead of the sparkle of modernity that 1966 gem captured, this one lends grace to the slog of a routine; to the feeling of never being able to catch up that's so emblematic of this century's 24/7 work cycle. Henneman's weary refrain, "It goes so fast, it won't slow down," is a hook that sinks in — but there's also redemption in the rise of the guitars and in Ortmann's drum fills. The song's climax shows Henneman admitting that being preoccupied is better than feeling lost: "Be thankful for another try," he sings as the guitars spiral around him. Always lending uplift to hard times and good ones, Henneman and his band are still here to help you get through your real life.
South Broadway Athletic Club is out Oct. 2 on Bloodshot Records.
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