Emotional revelations happen at the speed of sound in Chicago-based indie singer-songwriter Mike Rafferty’s first album, Supersonic Kid.
The ten-track album came out this April, and was produced at Friends of Friends Recording in Chicago. Rafferty’s combination of Americana rhythms with sharp turn-of-phrase indie rock lyrics make Supersonic Kid a debut worth paying attention to.
On Instagram, Rafferty acknowledged that he “had the utmost fortune of working with a collection of ingenious creative forces from the Chicago music community”, and that “a damn good time was had while celebrating this project being catapulted into the sonic atmosphere.” Consider us intrigued with those sentiments.
The album’s first single, “Signs That Never Come”, speaks to the futility of waiting for messages from the universe rather than taking action.
Rafferty’s throaty voice imbues the song with extra frustration as he sings, “Most of the time I’m waiting/For signs that never come… But I’ve resolved myself to this life/I’m being a good boy/I promise.” His acoustic guitar work adds an alternative twang to the chorus: “I can’t only live my life/ When it feels dignified/ I’m better off when I admit/ There’s a whole other side.”
The title track, “Supersonic Kid”, reads like a coming-of-age journal entry, with Rafferty confessing, “I grew up faster than I wanted/ I was a supersonic kid/ There is nothing/ There is nothing to show for it.” The music video features snapshots of Chicago streets, accompanied by nostalgic guitar and his howling lyrics. “There’s never been a use/ There’s never been a use for a supersonic kid.”
Another notable track, “Gia In Bloom” — which is the album’s follow-up single — follows in the tradition of Hall and Oates’ “Maneater” by describing the “predatory beauty” and “celestial aura” of the titular Gia.
The song starts out gentle, then picks up speed, mimicking the descent into head-over-heels infatuation. “Don’t brush her off/ You’ll trip and fall,” Rafferty warns. “You started out standing/ For the rest of your tenure you’re gonna crawl to her.”
The pulsing electric guitar and opaque lyrics of the album’s final single, “Front to Back”, make the song a stand-out, though it could be interpreted in a number of ways. When Rafferty sings, “There are many things to say/ Once uttered prove a grave mistake/ These explicatory days/ They lend themselves… To our fervent state”, is he referencing the turmoil of modern-day society, or a failing relationship? The multitude of possible meanings adds layers to the song.
After over two decades of writing, performing, and altogether blood-sweat-tearing as a musician, Rafferty finally got into a proper studio in 2025 to record this album. Co-produced with Brok Mende and recorded at his Friends of Friends Recording in Chicago, he hunkered down for five days to record these 10 tracks.
With Supersonic Kid, Rafferty pushes listeners to read between the lines, and makes for a fantastic debut record with hopefully more to come.
