After the Fruit Bats’ 2011 release Tripper, frontman Eric D. Johnson decided to take a break from the band to work on other projects such as film scores and a self-titled solo album under the moniker EDJ. Five years later, Johnson revived the Fruit Bats and released their excellent sixth album, Absolute Loser. Produced by Thom Monahan (Vetiver, Neal Casal), Johnson and Co. craft another polished set of bittersweet songs with jangly melodies centered around Johnson’s poignant high tenor vocals. Highlights include: the opening track “From A Soon-to-Be Ghost Town”; the jangly lead single “Humbug Mountain Song”; the lively anthemic track “My Sweet Midwest”; the tender ballad “It Must be Easy”; and the somewhat hopeful “Good Will Come to You.” In my opinion, Johnson is a vastly underrated talent and Absolute Loser is another well-crafted and rousing Fruit Bats album. – Written by JFelton
SIMILAR | Cotton Jones, The Dodos, Rogue Wave, The Shins