Though it sounds perfectly natural in the line of succession of Fruit Bats albums, it’s the five-year hiatus preceding “Absolute Loser” that makes all the difference. That album, as cohesive and strong top to bottom as anything frontman Eric D. Johnson has previously made, The album gathers its sense of purpose from the sort of self-reflection and search for meaning that caused Johnson to put Fruit Bats on hold after 2011’s Tripper.
But “Absolute Loser” unfolds as a rock-solid example of what Johnson has done best for more than 15 years. Although the album stacks more of its mellower songs toward the end—trading some of the enthusiastic spirit Johnson brings to Fruit Bats’ return for a finale that sounds thoroughly peaceful—in the end, anyone who’s tapped feet or nodded along to Fruit Bats in the past will find plenty to embrace with this new batch of familiar, comfortable tunes.
Fruit Bats – Absolute Loser
Recorded Live: 5/9/2016 – Paste Studios – New York, NY
The Fat Angel Sings 