This veteran indie rock is back with “Singin’ to an Empty Chair.”
Ratboys have been making music for more than a decade, and they are not going “Anywhere.” Hailing from Chicago, the band has worked to establish itself in the indie scene since forming in 2010, when Julia Steiner and Dave Sagan were students at the University of Notre Dame. But it was not until the release of “The Window” in 2023 that the group truly hit its stride. The album was recognized as one of the best indie rock releases of the year. Since then, the band opened for The Decemberists on their summer tour and made their Lollapalooza debut. Their new album, “Singin’ to an Empty Chair,” comes at the peak of their momentum.
Although a bit on the nose, “Open Up” does exactly what it promises. With a soft, delicate beginning that feels like cracking open a window on a hot summer day, the opening track of “Empty Chair” sets the tone for the rest of the album. Steiner playfully sings over light instrumentals, gentle yet steadily building in excitement. The calm is interrupted by “Know You Then,” which shakes listeners out of their trance with a drum and electric guitar part infused with energy and sunlight. The song hints at the album’s themes, saving the deeper cuts for later.
“Light Night Mountains All That” may be the most unexpected track on the album. Ratboys are no longer newcomers and this song proves it. The band surprises listeners with creative transitions and a more experimental approach, demonstrating mastery of their sound through a willingness to subvert it. Accompanied by a music video, “Light Night” marks the band’s first single since their previous album.
The next track, “Anywhere,” is Ratboys at their best. Fueled by excitement, energy and confidence, the song explores the complex nature of codependency in relationships. Another single, this angsty rock track is easy to get stuck in your head. “Penny in the Lake” follows, blending the emo and country influences that the band has tapped into before. Over a twangy guitar line, Steiner sings about “whiskey in the summertime” and “twisting the radio dial.” “Strange Love” echoes these dreamy vocal melodies with a vintage sound that would not feel out of place in a Western bar.
The angsty nostalgia continues with “The World, So Madly” – with a touch of existential crisis. “I know now that nothing’s gonna last,” Steiner declares in the chorus. But the standout on the album is “Just Want You to Know the Truth,” a raw and vulnerable shift in sound and style. Evocative lyricism is on full display in the song’s nuanced portrayal of a breakup, as hypnotic guitar lines soundtrack fractured memories and the weight of words left unsaid.
“What’s Right?” keeps the album rolling down a country road on a summer night, while “Burn It Down” may be the only let down. Despite running seven minutes long, the somewhat repetitive tenth track does not provide a sense of closure. Instead, its gradual fadeout is cut off by “At Peace in the Hundred Acre Wood,” a song that feels almost too optimistic to close out this story.
Even with its abrupt ending, Ratboys’ sixth album is a triumph. The band has come into its own, demonstrating a firm grasp of their musical identity and a strong ability to convey emotion and memory. While listening to “Singin’ to an Empty Chair,” it is hard not to dream of hazy summer nights tinged with reverie, mystery and childhood nostalgia. It’s hard to say if the band answers the questions they pose to listeners, but one thing is for certain – Ratboys won’t be singing to empty chairs for much longer.
