Teenage Bottlerocket returns with Ready To Roll, their first full-length for Pirates Press Records, and it delivers far more than early singles hinted at. While tracks like “True To You” may have felt underwhelming on their own, more melodic, glossier, almost too polished, they make a lot more sense within the full scope of the album.
Ready To Roll blends TBR’s trademark speed and bratty hooks with fresh textures and cleaner production. Tracks like “Taquero” and “What To Be For Halloween” punch with that classic Ramones-core energy, while “Giant Bug” stands out with one of their strongest guitar leads in years. Surprisingly, even the new wave–tinged moments (“Stupid Song”, “True To You”) manage to slot into the sequence without feeling (too much) out of place.
Produced at The Blasting Room by Andrew Berlin and mastered by Jason Livermore, the album has a sharp, lean sound that makes every hook count. The pacing is tight, the fun is intact, and TBR proves once again they can evolve just enough without losing what fans love.
Did the singles lower your expectations? The full album raises them back up. Ready To Roll is fast, fun, and confident, everything it needed to be.
