Music fans love to debate album runs. Which band released three, four, or more albums in a row without having a clunker? Some memorable bands can hash out a long career with only one or two stellar records and a handful of excellent singles on lower-quality releases. But, for some music lovers, true greatness is found when an artist strings together nonstop bangers over a sustained stretch of time. Basically, it’s the “Quality AND Quality” argument to prove persistent artistic worth.
I would like to nominate Ratboys for consideration in these discussions.
Since their 2015 debut, AOID, this terrific band has created a nearly unbroken string of amazing genre-spanning records. Led by the remarkable wordsmithery of Julia Steiner and the tremendous guitar licks of David Sagan, the group crafts whimsical power-pop, tuneful country-rock, and long-form indie rock. The only weak link in their streak might GN, the 2017 sophomore project, but the band’s entire oeuvre is built upon a profound penchant for inverting traditional tropes without arty pretension. With 2023’s The Window, the band hit new heights and earned fresh accolades, as they continued to hone their sound.
That growth continues with Singin’ to an Empty Chair, their first on New West Records. Across eleven breathtaking tracks, they take another set of confident steps from their earlier Midwestern emo-inspired roots into full-throated Americana. Overflowing with a bittersweet optimism, the band sounds earnest, yet pissed off, as a rueful realism takes hold. Balancing sensitivity and strength with the rich maturity, the music combines vintage Emmylou Harris with Rilo Kiley, Tom Petty, and Margo Price to remarkable effect.
Ratboys is incredibly talented without being show-offs.
Julia Steiner is a magnificent songwriter who brazenly bares her soul in her heartrending lyrics and with her gently warbling soprano. Sagan’s bristling guitars showcase a welcome warmth, whether via a twangy Telecaster, tender acoustic guitar, or fuzzy distortion. Sean Neumann’s ripping bass licks possess a keen edge without ever taking over the mix. And between his measured drumming, clean pocket, and hazy synth lines, Marcus Nuccio gives the music a formidable heft.
The remarkable pacing and cross-genre discipline of this album cannot be denied.
Leading off the record, “Open Up” finds Steiner seeking emotional vulnerability from someone important to her: “I look at you with my eagle eye / I won’t say a big goodbye / I don’t wanna fight / So, what’s it gonna take to open up?” On “Anywhere,” she mourns the fact that she can’t be with an intense love, proclaiming, “I would love to be your shadow / Living in my perfect life / But, some nights it’s total darkness / Deep breaths, it’s fine, it’s fine, it’s fine.”
With “What’s Right,” she realizes it might be time to leave that love, as she mourns, “You see, the little thing’s a lie / It won’t hurt, just drive / But, now we’re running out of gas / In the middle of the night.” Closing out the project, “At Peace in the Hundred Acre Wood” sings about how our protagonist has made some tough decisions, but now they’re ready to move on: “Crying in the rain / I’m one with my environment, I’m blending in / Laugh through the pain / It doesn’t hurt so bad when I am with my friends.”
Singin’ to an Empty Chair is a paragon of emotional depth and resilience.
It’s a frank and personal project that never feels cloying or purple. Ratboys want us to know that sometimes you need to move onward and upward in life. Over and over again, the songs tell us that relationships can be hard, especially when you want them to become deep and abiding. Yet they also tell us that, despite the intentional communication that goes into a grown-up relationship, things don’t always work, especially when one of the people doesn’t want things to just stay the same. Sometimes, for things to get better, you must move on, even if the person you need to talk to doesn’t want to listen.
Let’s call it a six-album run. Such a streak proves that people need to pay more attention to this band.