I talk often about artistic ambition. I would much rather an artist stretch their wings doing something new and intriguing than doubling down on what they know really well. Yes, it’s important to know who you are and what you can do, but it might be more important to find ways to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Give me all your creativity, but just make sure you can follow through on your ideas.
In the world of digital content marketing – the stuff I do for my day job – we explain such a concept thusly:
- Find what you can do better than anyone else and start off in a single niche.
- Hone your skills by creating superior material on a consistent basis over a long period of time.
- Get your creations in front of the people who will appreciate it the most.
- Once you’ve found your core audience, then you can begin to morph and modify your efforts both in terms of what you do and who sees it.
Ultimately, you don’t abandon that original niche at all, but you also actively seek fresh ways to create because you actually love doing it.
Which brings me Ratboys and their stellar new album, The Window.
This talented quartet has been making music for well over a decade now. With each project, they have sharpened and focused their overall aesthetic to a fine point. In turn, they have received increasing recognition and accolades for their spirited twist on ‘90s indie rock. Led by the whimsical vocals of Julia Steiner and the wry lyrics she pens with Dave Sagan, the band creates zippy indie rock with big heart.
On their new full-length for Topshelf Records, you would expect Ratboys to batten down the hatches and deliver a more nuanced and mature version of 2020’s Printer’s Devil. “We can do this very well, and we’re gonna give you more of it.” Instead, they decided to attack the idea of ‘20s indie from multiple perspectives and direction. By peeling back their collective influences on a track-by-track basis, the group can better interrogate the indie rock tradition and explore old ideas with fresh eyes.
The Window refuses to settle for the conventional.
Across eleven superb songs, the Chicago-based outfit inundates their long-term fanbase with a diverse array of genres, styles, and deliveries. Their affection for Superchunk, Superdrag, Letters to Cleo, and Wilco know no bounds, but they filter it through a range of country, psych, punk, folk, and twee filters. And by focusing on crisp musicianship and taut arrangements, Ratboys can easily flip switches and directions without getting distracted. This focus and discipline allows them to push up and out of their artistic niche while still paying homage.
For example, “Morning Zoo” sings with this jangly alt-country energy, right down to crooning pipes, wheezing violin, and warbling guitar licks. On “It’s Alive,” Steiner channels her inner Lisa Loeb while the band conjures up loping power pop atop churning distortion.
With the title cut, we get a fusion of peppy alterna-pop and sincere folk vocals that would have been the perfect theme song for a ‘90s television show about twenty-something slackers. As the longest song on the album, “Black Earth, WI” delivers a high-end psych-rock jam, complete with noodling guitar solos, grooving bass runs, expressive drum fills, and earnest gang vocals.
Ratboys create simply spectacular rock.
This album is absolutely brave and totally unafraid. Throughout The Window, we’re treated to big guitars, bigger drums, and amazing vocals. However, even though most of the tunes delight in familiar major keys, the band prefers unorthodox chord progressions and rejects a diet solely comprised of crunchy power chords. By choosing to investigate themselves and their music with honesty and integrity, Ratboys can share frank ruminations about growing up that are free from cliche. By choosing exploration over stagnation, they made art that represented their musical sensibilities, and the world is better for it.