REVIEW: Ada Rook's "Rookie's Bustle"


Ada Rook is always busy. It seems she's part of an uncountable amount of projects and always has something coming out. I myself am usually pretty positive on her output; Black Dresses always puts out some of my favorite records and this year Angel Electronics, a MySpace throwback featuring Rook and Ash Nerve, honestly might end up a top five album at year's end. I am historically critical of Rook on her own however. I was not at all a fan of Ugly Death, her last solo record, but I am always willing to give a listen.


Rookie's Bustle is a collection of b-sides composed by Rook for that growing list of bands as well as her solo project. It makes sense that she has so many leftovers and to be honest there's a lot of highlights on this collection overall.


The mini album opens with "920London," Rook's take on a sadder indie rock track that she manages to make her own with that trademark artfully sloppy delivery and a heavier post chorus. The song itself sort of reminds me of the Black Dresses cover songs of seemingly left field tracks by artists like My Chemical Romance and Scene Queen. I feel "Mystery School" is reminiscent of Black Dresses as well, in fact with its disjointed sample at the top of the track and the hip hop like vocal delivery, If you added Devi McCallion I think it'd fit nicely into the duo's last record. On the flip side of that however is the lyrical themes of escapism and leaving the world behind which could have made this a stand out on the last solo effort. 


True to my relationship with this artist this year "Sabotage Everything" is my favorite track here. Nerve is present on the hook for this one and it comes packed with a vulnerability that I'm not used to from Rook. She continues that same vulnerability on "Curse," which is dedicated to her Black Dresses and romantic partner. Rook and McCallion's chemistry is my favorite part of Black Dresses and when it came out that they were a couple it honestly really warmed my heart. For Rook to write a love song for her warms it all over again, it makes a lot of her past lyrics fit better in context and it's a more honest and open expression than "Party Girl" off of the Angel Electronics record.


Look, this is a b-sides project. The quality is mixed, some songs sound like they're broken off to fit in sequence somewhere else. There's also a lot of quality songs on here, I walk away happier than last time and remain a fan. If you've never listened to any Rook project this is either a terrible place to start or a perfect one if you have the guidance of where to go from there.

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