RATBOYS, a Chicago-based indie rock band, has just released their fourth album The Window. The band has been recording and releasing music for over a decade, ever since they got their start in Notre Dame dorm rooms. But this newest album stands to be their most popular project thus far. It’s the first album that they’ve recorded outside of Chicago. They traveled all the way to Seattle to work with producer Chris Walla. It’s also the first album they’ve written that was entirely collaborative, with the addition of two new full-time members, Sean Neumann on bass and Marcus Nuccio on drums, in recent years. Frontman Julia Steiner has this to say about writing the album “In the past, I’d write songs alone and bring them to Dave [Sagan, guitarist]. Then we’d ask friends if they’d be willing to come to the studio to help us record. But slowly that began to change. On The Window, I wrote the seeds of the songs on my own and brought them to Dave, Sean, and Marcus all at once for the first time. We worked on the arrangements together over the course of a year and half.” 

“Making Noise For The Ones You Love” – This song really lives up to it’s name, with a minute of sounds (mostly guitar pedals) as the intro. What you find in the lyrics are simple lines filled with loneliness and avoiding the thought of missing someone.

“Morning Zoo” – The lyrics explore inner struggles and the pursuit of inner peace. They reflect on a daily self-examination and the challenge of quieting troubled mind. In a press release Julia said “The lyrics are meant to express the frustration and confusion that comes along with hanging out at a personal crossroads, where every day feels the same and the same big questions keep nagging at you from the back of your head.” They focus on feeling detached “But how long does it take / To find the peace that I wanted?”

“Crossed That Line” – With the title in mind, you can imagine that this song might be about boundaries. However, the lyrics are sort of about a crush on some dumb guy at a house show.

“It’s Alive” stands out as a memorable song from the album, showcasing nostalgic guitar melodies and vibrant sonic elements that resonate with the distinctive charm of the Pacific Northwest.

“No Way” is soft yet tenacious, it has a vintage live band feel. Especially with the strum of the acoustic guitar and the distant steel guitar.

“The Window” – Welcome to the title track. This song is darker than it initially appears. With longing and remembrance, they express regret for not saying everything they wanted to before a person passed away. They recall a moment when they saw the person through a window and now long for their presence and the memories they shared.

“Empty” – This song has strong elements of 90s rock, it’s a mild headbanger. The minimal lyrics are presumably about a breakup.

“Break”- I love the electronically programmed drums on this song. There are other synth instruments to go with it, but the guitars really blend everything together.

“Black Earth, WI” – Maybe I shouldn’t be so surprised, but this song took me off guard. They don’t make a lot of songs like this anymore. Standing at nearly 9 minutes long, it’s currently the most popular song on the album. Julia’s yodeling is comforting and worth listening all the way through for.

“I Want You (Fall 2010)” – This song is probably my favorite on the album, it feels really fun and lighthearted. I love the first lines: “I could tell that we’d be friends / From the first moment / We walked around and started talkin’ / All about our favorite bands / Got a quarter dog and / Snuck you in at 2 A.M.”

“Bad Reaction” – The album closes on a somber note, it’s a delicate listen with minimal production.

This album is full of little moments that are shared with us one song at a time. Julia Steiner has minimalistic lyrics that really set the scene. The instrumentation and musicianship are really the stars of this album. The album had some surprisingly twangy moments that lean towards indie-folk. Overall, it’s a beautiful listen for a windows-down car ride.

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