The Rolofs Leap Forward
The Rolofs released their first EP last year. It featured seven unpretentious and snappy tracks with one major standout: “Look at Your Vinyl.” That song, in particular, signaled a true revivalist college rock band in the making. It was a promising start for Jack Eaton (bass), George Walker (drums), and Joaquin Duque (guitar, piano, vocals, and the primary songwriter).
A couple of weeks ago, they released their first full length album, The Parade of Endymion. Candidly, I wasn’t prepared for the quantum leap they’ve achieved in less than a year. It’s sort of shocking. It’s so rare for a band to go from good to great in a short period of time. It’s even more rare for a band to go from good to exceptional. But that’s what happened with Hattiesburg, Mississippi’s The Rolofs.
It’s an ambitious record, but, at the same time, it doesn’t feel like they’re overthinking things. When pursuing that balance, there’s an effortlessness a band has to preserve, a coolness. An air that you’re good with whatever comes out as long as you stay true to the idea. And that’s where nearly all 13 songs land. Nothing sounds overworked or contrived. It feels in the moment… real.
Across every track, you’ll hear heavy influences from The Beatles, The Yardbirds, The Kinks (the brazen song “Kinks” is so on-the-nose it actually works), as well as more modern artists like Girls, Sharp Pins, and White Fence. There’s plenty of British Invasion extravagance — including what sounds like a cooked-up British accent on “Marianna Paper Green.” It all lands. In addition, the guys chase West Coast jangle pop (“Harlem Blv”), straight ahead guitar rock (“Drag!”), and piano balladry (“God Loves Me”). It’s peppered with hooks, licks, dust, warmth, sparkle, and, most importantly, ideas. Lots of ideas. And that’s why it’s a lovable, replayable piece of art.
The slower stuff works, too (“Princesa”). They manage to situate the tenderness alongside the groovier stuff effectively, mostly by tapping into cheese-free nostalgia and nailing the track sequence. At no point do they allow the energy to dip too drastically — they get the pacing.
If you need a clear view into the band’s current creative capacity, start with the Britty rainy day groover, “European way of life.” Melodically, each note lands right where it belongs — which is the most essential trait of any excellent pop song. Just listen to the resolve in the final chorus, where Duque repeats “It’s a European…” several times, then resolves with a perfectly timed and delivered “way of life.” If you’re a fan of pop music listening for the first time, I’d bet you were hoping for and predicting that moment — and felt immensely satisfied when it hit.
For me, that immense satisfaction applies to the whole record. The first time I listened from start to finish, I didn’t want it to end. That rarely happens with an album these days, especially one with 13 tracks. So, even though it’s only mid-October, I’m labeling this my favorite record of 2026.
The guys will come to Birmingham to play Saturn on December 2. If you live in town, make a point to come out. (Featured photo by Olle Noltorp)
