Ratboys – Singin’ to an Empty Chair

Indie Rock | Alternative Country

82%

 

Everything turns into crabs eventually. At least, that’s according to marine biologists.  Apparently other crustaceans keep evolving into crab-like shapes, because crabs are better adapted for their environment. When there exists an ideal, optimal form to take, everyone changes to follow that same blueprint. The idea isn’t just limited to crabs either, we see that same pursuit of an already perfected form in all manner of places. It’s why all cars have the same configuration of pedals and levers, why Aussie lads all sport a moustache and a mullet, and why all American indie bands seem to gravitate towards pairing slacker rock with a pronounced country twang. You can understand why so many acts are converging on the same sound – it’s been proven to work a treat, time and time again. However, the problem then arises that all these different bands and artists begin to blend in with one another. How does one stand out from the crowd when you’re one of a thousand crabs scuttling along the same stretch of shoreline. 

Ratboys are a band that have seemingly spent their whole career blending in with their peers. They’re far from a household name even within niche indie circles, let alone among the general populace. They haven’t developed a major cult following, or had a song go viral on TikTok, and even as a fan of their music, who’s always on the lookout for new releases, many of their albums have completely passed me by. I say all of this affectionately, as whenever I have tuned in to one of their records I’ve always had a good time with it, and this latest is no exception. They may not be doing anything ground-breaking or setting the world on fire, but by simply sticking to their own lane and honing their craft, they’ve quietly become one of the most consistent bands out there. There’s an air of endearing underdog energy about them, an especially welcoming warmth to Julia Steiner’s vocals, and I can’t help but have a bit of a soft spot for them. 

Though Singin’ to an Empty Chair doesn’t quite reach the same highs as The Window, I think overall it just averages out to be their most consistently great record yet. The aptly named ‘Open Up’ is superb opener that sets the bar high right out of the gate, with its bright vocals, effervescent guitar melodies and emphatic drum fills. ‘Light Night Mountains All That’ has a charmingly chaotic energy to it that sounds like a jangle pop Nirvana. before devolving into an extended jam outro. ‘Anywhere’ is a fun, no-nonsense rocker with an undeniable beat and quirky lead riff, ‘Penny in the Lake’ is a laidback southern rocker that doubles down on the country twang, while the folky ‘Strange Love’ is home to some dreamy 50s style backing vocals. 

For my money though, it’s on the album’s two longer cuts that Ratboys really excel. ‘Just Want You to Know the Truth’ builds up a soothing backdrop of chilled out Americana, complete with understated swells of steel guitar, before that tranquility is shattered by a squalling guitar solo, whose final shrieks fade back into the hazy pastoral vibe where it all began. ‘Burn It Down’ follows a similar trajectory, albeit dabbling in a far darker, moodier tone, with some fittingly incendiary guitar work from David Sagan. In fact, my only real critique of Empty Chair is that ‘Burn it Down’ is too much of a tough act to follow. Closing track ‘At Peace in the Hundred Acre Wood’, while charming enough in isolation, withers in the shadow of what came before and ends the album on a rather underwhelming note. I think swapping the two in the track order would have done the album a world of good in that regard. 

Evolution may have arrived at a generally accepted idea of what the best shape is, but it doesn’t necessarily have to stay there. The form can still be refined over time. There’s an abundance of bands and artists running with this same musical formula right now. Ratboys weren’t the first, they aren’t the most influential or acclaimed, merely a dark horse in a race with too many runners to count. Yet if they keep delivering records like this, slowly improving and evolving the form with each new release, then they can soon start standing out from the crowd, and have people truly take notice.