"Could I be your North Star?" asks Eric D. Johnson on the first chorus of the first single from Fruit Bats' new album, A River Running to Your Heart – an album that continues the move away from the lo-fi world of the Bats of yore. Yes, I miss the old scrappy lo-fi sounds, but growth is inevitable & should be embraced – especially when accompanied by a constant uptick in arrangements and songwriting smarts. It should also be noted that this tenth full-length Bats album is also the first one to be produced by Johnson. The single is called "Rushin' River Valley" and was written for Johnson's wife. It's a mature song that seems right on time, measuring what's important against the insane times we are living through. Â
We get to hear the Fruit Bats perform selections from A River Running to Your Heart and their greatest hits this Wednesday, April 12, at the Hifi. "It All Comes Back" is a real standout track that speaks of the post-pandemic movement back into our "normal" daily lives. Slowly, cautiously, moving out into a scarier world & trying to remember how we functioned before realizing it's "like riding a bike." "We Used to Live Here" is my personal fave, though, with its "look how good our lives were before we got old & the world turned to shit" outlook, acoustic guitar picking, and impeccable washes of sound in all the right spots. It's a beautiful track & absolutely nothing is out of place. It's perfect & I'm jealous I didn't write it.
The fuller sound of acoustic bases with electric textures sprinkled on top works incredibly well throughout the album. I know you'll think I'm being a dick when I say "Waking Up in Los Angeles" would sound good, piped over the speakers at Panera Bread, but it really would. Fleetwood Mac does, too & I don't think that's an insult, either. So what if Billy Joel comes on during lunch and makes everyone start cramming food down their gullets so quickly they almost choke, tryna escape before the heart attack-ack-ack-ack part? Don't measure everything by the lowest common denominator. Â
"Tacoma" retains a bit of lo-fi feel just for kicks. It's basically a country travellin' song with some gorgeous old RnB chords thrown in, like a more up-tempo Dusty in Memphis. "Sick of This Feeling" retains the country feel, like a comfortable old Glen Campbell song with a super tasty 70s pop chorus. Reminds me of backseat rides on family vacation trips in a car that smelled like freezer pops, sunscreen, and sweaty hot dog water. Â
The concept of home is really what lies at the heart of the record. Where we used to live. Where we live now. Where we're headed. So remember the good times. Live in the present. Stay rooted and try to be prepared for whatever comes next. Simple advice from a friendly ol' rock 'n roll dude.
Fruit Bats will play the Hi-Fi in Fountain Square on Wednesday, April 12th.
A River Running to Your Heart (Merge) will be released on Friday, April 14th.
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