Hobo Johnson (aka Frank Lopes, Jr.), is a California based rap/spoken word artist who follows-up his 2017 major label debut The Rise of Hobo Johnson with The Fall of Hobo Johnson. Lopes started gaining a wider following with backing band The LoveMakers after NPR’s 2018 Tiny Desk Contest. On his latest, Lopes was quoted as wanting each song to sound different from one another, and he has accomplished this with a lively set of witty, self-confessional rap emo/punk that contains elements of boisterous rock, high-spirited jazz flourishes, melodic piano bits, and a fair amount of cello, all culminating into an eclectic sound all his own. Thematically, Lopes shares his complaints and hopes for life and the world, and album highlights include: a rebellious rap/punk rock hybrid “Typical Story”; the alluringly somber “Happiness”; the atheist takedown of religion and government “You & the Cockroach”; the witty nonsensical musing “Subaru Crosstrek XV”; a heartbreaking rant about a relationship “Sorry, My Dear”; and the mildly dark self-reflective track “Ugly Kid.” Hobo Johnson is a raucous highly creative young talent who is not afraid to experiment with his sound. While The Fall of Hobo Johnson is not a perfect album, it’s a whole lot of fun and I’m looking forward to where Lopes takes his music next as he continues to evolve! – Written by JFelton
SIMILAR | Bright Eyes, Chance the Rapper, Dismemberment Plan, Oliver Tree, A Tribe Called Quest