Hangin' with the Fruit Bats

I’m not sure where The Fruits Bats are hanging out these days, but they are often figured as a Chicago band (OK, Eric Johnson's from here, but hasn't lived here in a while. Maybe?). They certainly have plenty of ties to these parts, and while main Bat Eric D. Johnson may be well traveled, spending time in bands in San Francisco (Vetiver) and Seattle (Factums), you get the feeling he likes it here when he sings on album’s third song, “I’m heading back to the place that makes sense to me, my heart belongs to the snow, Buffalo and Chicago”. Ruminant Band was recorded in Chicago and it's The Fruit Bats 3rd album overall and first since 2003’s Spelled in Bones. What do they sound like? The Fruit Bats music is often compared to The Shins, which makes a lot of sense given Johnson spends time playing in that band too. But rather than the 60s inflected, moody, folk-pop that the Shins employ, the songs on Ruminant Band choogle with a laid-back authority that’s grafted to the sonic bones of The Band, the Allman Brothers, and 70s AM radio in all the best possible ways. Califone’s (another nod to Chicago) Tim Rutilli even lays down a guest vocal on one track. If you like The Shins, or the last couple of Wilco records, do yourself a favor and check out The Fruit Bats.