The indie-rock music group “Old Man Jenkins” released their debut album “Jalopy” on Sept. 30. Westside Senior Eric McMullen is the band’s bassist, while other members include Evan Johnson on guitar and vocals, Henrik Nelson on drums and backup vocals, and Cooper Watkins on guitar and backup vocals.

The band was formed in September of 2020. According to McMullen, album production took about 5 to 6 months, including time spent writing and recording the album. 

Before listening to the album, I wasn’t sure what genre to expect. This being the band’s debut album, I hadn’t listened to any of their music before. However upon listening to the opening song, I received somewhat of a folk/blues/rock ambience. 

The first song, “The Record”, had an awesome rhythm section that had a rock sound, while the vocals maintained a folksy impression. Overall, these two aspects of the song mixed well together and created a unique sound. Another noteworthy point came close to the middle section of the song, where there was a guitar solo that really made the track stand out.

The second song on the album, “Can’t Move On”, was a brighter, more upbeat tune compared to the previous song. It was sunny, cheerful, and reminded me of summer. On the contrary, the next track, “Don’t Ya?”, was more of a grunge, rock song. The falsetto vocals, as well as the more gravelly-sounding sections of the song, were both fantastic. When listening to this particular song, I specifically noted how much I enjoyed the ending section, as it really tied the song together perfectly.

“50 Shades of Blue”, the next track, had meaningful lyrics and an amazing guitar section at 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Additionally, the rhythm section sounded great throughout, especially in the intro. “Don’t Mess Around” followed, and I was surprised by the almost country sounding introduction. Upon listening, I came to the conclusion that this song would be perfect for any fall playlist.

The highlight of the album was the 6th song, “Tread Lightly”.  It encapsulated midwestern teenage angst with another great guitar solo and outro. Similarly, “The Tape”, the final track of the album, was another fantastic song that included an enjoyable guitar section in the middle and outro that tied the whole album together. 

Overall, “Jalopy” by “Old Man Jenkins” made for a fantastic listen. Considering that the band recorded, wrote, produced, and played all of their songs on their own, the album is super impressive. All in all, I would give this album an A.