Born Ruffians - Uncle Duke and The Chief (2018)

Since their humble beginnings as Toronto-area instrument-wielding 15-year-olds to their current status as indie rock darlings, the quirky band known as Born Ruffians (with Luke Lalonde on guitar/vocal, Mitch DeRosier on bass, and Steve Hamelin on drums) have staked a claim as an inventive outfit known for churning out a steady stream of unique guitar-driven albums filled with catchy hooks. Their latest, Uncle, Duke and the Chief, is one Lalonde calls the veteran band’s strongest work to date. Led by the infectious single “Miss You,” the album is the first to feature the aforementioned original lineup since 2013’s Birthmarks. (Drummer Steve took an extended absence to attend school for teaching and was lured back because, well, being in a rock band is more fun.) Produced by Richard Swift (Foxygen, The Shins), Uncle, Duke & The Chief is a record less concerned with what sounds hip than what feels good. In the Ruffians’ case that meant shedding some of their more arty influences (the Pixies, Talking Heads) and reconnecting with the sounds they first heard on their parents’ turntables as kids: Buddy Holly, The Everly Brothers, and pre-psychedelic Beatles. “It’s about going back to the deepest, most satisfying itch to scratch,” says lead singer Luke Lalonde. And in doing so, the album takes you back to a time when the Ruffians sounded less like a band and more like a gang, raising a wild ruckus and speaking in telepathic tongues.