It’s February 2024, and we’re still chewing through 2023 records. Two very different American acts this week. The country and power-pop-infused indie rock of Chicago’s Ratboys, and the latest record from rapper Danny Brown. Enjoy!
Ratboys
The Window
2023, 8/10
There are several confusing things about Chicago-based band Ratboys. Lead vocalist Julia Steiner doesn’t seem to be a boy – although the band name comes from a nickname she was randomly given in high school. I also get Ratboys tangled with fellow indie rockers Wednesday, who released an album named Rat Saw God a few months earlier.
Ostensibly an indie-rock band, Ratboys are wide-ranging. There’s some country grit in their sound, and some muscular power-pop brightness. They work with producer Chris Walla, who’d recorded with Death Cab For Cutie and The Decemberists.
There are at least two great tracks. ‘Black Earth, WI’ is an eight-minute epic, featuring an impressive five-minute guitar solo. It’s not far in spirit from a Neil Young & Crazy Horse-style epic like ‘Cortex The Killer’.
The title track is about vocalist Julia Steiner’s grandfather. Losing his wife to COVID during the pandemic, he was only able to farewell her through the window of her nursing home.
It feels like Ratboys are still developing, and have an even better record in them. But The Window is a high-level indie-rock album with some great tracks.
Danny Brown
Quaranta
2023, 8/10
Danny Brown honed his rapping skills in jail. The Detroit rapper served eight months in jail for drug dealing, where he worked on his music. He’d wanted to be a rapper since kindergarten. Raised on Dr Seuss since kindergarten, when he learned to talk he talked in rhyme.
Quaranta is Brown’s sixth studio album – he also released Scaring the Hoes with JPEGMafia in 2023. It was released after a time in rehab, and it’s one of the most introspective hip-hop records that I’ve heard.
Particularly in the second half, Brown confronts his issues directly. In ‘Celibate’ he acknowledges his past, “Had me trapped in that cell a bit”.
If the second half is more fascinating lyrically, the first half is more memorable musically. ‘Ain’t My Concern’ is menacing, with Brown’s guttural vocal intoning “Like a moth in a flame, when you burn, you learn.” Brown’s a vocal chameleon, able to employ a higher tone for lighter songs like ‘Dark Sword Angel’ and ‘Jenn’s Terrific Vacation’.
There’s an uplifting conclusion, with ‘Bass Jam’ celebrating Brown’s love of music. “Playin’ that Anita Baker early when I wake up/Smellin’ scrambled eggs with the bacon” is a nice change of pace after Brown’s harrowing tales.
Quaranta is tightly constructed, with little flab, able to capture a wide range of moods.
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I was impressed with Ratboys, especially the guitar solo on “Black Earth, WI.”
Yup, it’s a cool solo. Thanks for listening.
The album by Ratboys speaks to me. In fact, I included one of its tracks in a new music review in August last year around the time it came out. Meanwhile, many weeks have passed, and I had cheerfully forgotten about this band. Thanks for the reminder!
You cover six new songs a week – must be hard to keep track of them all. I’m pretty sure there are albums I’ve covered that I’ve totally forgotten about.
It’s hard for an eight minute song to hold my attention but this did. I really like Black Earth, WI…. the music does it for me. Her vocals are fine but it’s the music that kept me listening. They do some very good dynamics in the song with the music.
Yeah, it’s kind of a cinematic guitar solo.