Customer Reviews

The Ruminant Band [Vinyl]

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Over the course of a decade, Eric Johnson has lead the Fruit Bats through musical terrain both poppy and experimental, mixing Americana folk with bubbly indie, alt-country with melodic chamber-pop. With their fourth release, The Ruminant Band, Johnson & Co. continue to live up to their reputation as musical blacksmiths and the title itself. A ruminant is a mammal with four stomachs, giving it the ability to digest and re-digest food to extract the maximum amount of nutrients from a single bite, and with The Ruminant Band, the Fruit Bats have again created a record of many disparate angles, Johnson's viewpoint on the past forty years of music chewed and re-chewed into a distinctly Fruit Bats release.

Johnson has always been a hard talent to pin down, but his penchant for combining many different styles into a seamless whole remains intact. It's been four years since the Fruit Bats' last, but those four years (four stomachs, anyone?), which have had Johnson become a member of the Shins and the Fruit Bats fall by the wayside, seem to have only ignited Johnson's creativity further. The Ruminant Band runs the gamut from classic rock `n roll in the Neil Young vein to light summer pop reminiscent of Elephant 6 groups, and while nothing here is mind-blowingly original or particularly revolutionary, it is a fresh, solid collection of intimate alternative.

Opener "Primitive Band" stomps along a `70s rock groove and a completely unfettered solo, while guitars ring and twang like the Allman Brothers on the titular track and the country-fried, fuzzed-out "My Unusual Friend." Johnson's vocals, which call to mind a nasally mix between the Minus 5's Scott McCaughey and Kevin Barnes with a more country bent, stay in a higher register for most of the time here. His rather twee, always emotive pipes make a hokey chorus like "I'll never snow on your parade / I'll never bring a cloudy day" on the excellent "Tegucigalpa" an earnest promise rather than a corny sentiment, and stand in perfect contrast to the rugged, full-bodied instrumentation on display throughout.

The album peaks in the middle, beginning with the wistful acoustic strummer "Beautiful Morning Light," which would have sounded perfectly at home on Fleet Foxes' debut. "The Hobo Girl" and "Being On Your Own" are the record's highlight, the first rollicking along a honky-tonk piano melody and a campfire sing-a-long chorus, while the latter is a jaunty pedal-steel exercise with a syncopated barroom piano backbeat.

The Ruminant Band is a collection that could be looked at closely, noting the intricate licks and gospel shading of "Feather Bed," the soft carnival synthesizers on closer shuffling closer "Flamingo," or the way Johnson's vocals occasionally bend towards the darker in lyrics like those on "Singing Joy To The World." But it's best looked at as a summer album, one that rides along an open, instinctively American highway into a future uncertain, but one defiantly promising and undoubtedly optimistic. In its celebration of music past and present, from the rangy guitars and pounding, Fleetwood Mac-esque piano riffs to Johnson's undeniable modern pop sensibilities and jangly, sun-soaked melodicism, The Ruminant Band is a record that without a doubt recycles, but makes sure to waste nothing in doing so.

Eric Johnson, the singer-song writer and main force behind Fruit Bats has been busy in recent years, touring with the Shins as a touring guitarist and also being involved with Vetiver. But finally, after the excellent 2005 album "Spelled the Bones", and again many personnel changes, his band returns and turns in its 4tuh studio album.

"The Ruminant Band" (11 tracks; 40 min.) continues the free-flowing indie-folk-rock sound of earlier albums, as if time has stood still. The album kicks off with a great "Primitive Man", followed by an equally enticing title track. "Beautiful Morning Light" is a beautiful 'quiet' song, just Eric and his acoustic guitar, and if you wonder where Fleet Foxes got some of their inspiration, look no further. On "The Hobo Sound" you find yourself back into a honky-tonk country bar 100 years ago, and it works great. The up-tempo "My Unusual Friend" features some electric guitars, to spice things up. "Feathered Bed" reminds me of early Neil Young, somehow.

In all, this is a most excellent and long-delayed return of Fruit Bats. At 40 min., this album clips by in no time, and you'll find yourself playing this again and again. I hope to see these guys at some point in concert, and can't wait to see how these songs will resonate in a live setting. Meanwhile, if you wonder where you can hear Fruit Bats, look no further than WOXY (BAM! The Future of Rock and Roll), the internet-only station that brings the best indie-music in the country, bar none. Meanwhile, "The Ruminant Band" is highly recommended!

I first started listening to Fruit Bats when I heard the title track "Ruminant Band." Fun, great music. They are fabulous live too.

I love this album. A friend at work got me into these guys. I've listened to all four of their LP's and this one is their finest moment. This is an album that makes you feel good and relaxed all at the same time. Great guitar work (some songs almost have an Allman Brothers feel to them). Fruit Bats are a consistent band that knows how to put out good music. They have flown under the radar for about a decade now, but deserve to be recognized and praised. Favorite tracks on this album are the title track and My Unusual Friend.

I'd hear of the Fruit bats a while back but the first song i heard was "when you love somebody", featured in Youth in Revolt. I thought that was such an amazing song i looked up the band on youtube for other gems - i discovered the ruminant band and decided to buy the album (their latest also titled "the ruminant band"). This album far exceeded my expectations! It's beautiful and a breath of fresh air. it may seem contradictory [maybe even inaccurate] and i hate to compare artists to one another but to list a few bands that i think display some similarity may be helpful to some potential fans. 1) vocally- if david grey and the lead singer from the shins had a baby and this baby was a bit cooler/more eccentric (no offense to mr grey or shins guy), HE would front the Fruit BAts. Musically, i think of Wilco and the Kinks...and the bass player LOOKS like Jeff Tweedy (Wilco). I definitely think im gonna back track and look up the earlier albums too. if you're thinking of buying the album but not sure...DO IT! if you're not thinking of buying the album...then why are you reading a buyer review? ...but still buy it! lots of fun, lots of heart etc.....

Its beautiful compilation of new and old.. sounding crisp and great.. if your and old school rocker its like a Bob Dylan mixed with an E.L.O.. mixed with a Chicago with the voice and lyrics of early Pink Floyd.. Great buy check it out.. again and a again.. "You won't lose the beat if you just keep clapping your hands"

I'm not too familiar with the Fruit Bats as I was introduced to them about a month ago. The Ruminant Band was my introduction, and this album is great. Strong all around. To make the impression even deeper, I saw them live last night at T.T.'s in Cambridge, MA. Wonderful performance. If you are into pop/folk/retro/rock fusion, then definitely look into the Fruit Bats' music. I'm onto Mouthfuls right now, an earlier album, and the strength of the talent is full on there too. I now consider myself a loyal fan. Bravo for great music.

4+ stars. The evolution of the Fruit Bats continues with a treasure of catchy alt-country/pop/indie songs that are sure to please. Eric Johnson has written some great songs that facilitate collaborative arrangements by the entire band.

They're also great to see live, and most of the new songs are played during their current tour. Nice steel pedal playing will be witnessed. Great show.

I honestly thought we had heard the last of The Fruit Bats when Eric Johnson joined up with The Shins... I'm glad I was wrong.

The Ruminant Band is very much in the same songwriting style as their other albums, only with a little more instrumentation this time around. Electric gutiars and pianos are all over this album. Don't worry though, there's still the trademark acoustic sound throughout, like the song "Beautiful Morning Light" which sort of borrows from The White Stripes' song "We are gonna be friends." "The Hobo Girl" is a nice little Beatlesque piano romp of a song while "The Blessed Breeze" sounds like a song that should've been on The Shins' first ablum.

All in all, this is a good album, almost as good as their others, and a must have for any and all Fruit Bats fans.

Key Track: Primiative Man

I am a fan of the fruit bats. they are very good. they write nice melodies. 1 song sounds like the doobie brothers. 1 song sounds like the atlanta rhythm section. 1 song sounds like the beatles. that is all good. i like the fruit bats. they are very good. they write nice melodies. thank you. good night.