Long-beloved indie-folk act Eric D. Johnson aka Fruit Bats have released yet another sweet gem whose mellowness perfectly complements the city it sings of. The tune takes its time, as you would on a slow, sunny morning, using a simple arrangement to keep you in the setting. When vocalist Eric D. Johnson sings, “Well, we all want a home—metaphorical or real / Some place to make us feel whole,” you feel assured that he will find what’s he’s looking for. But the laid-back colour of the song contrasts the lyrics, which hold a far more complex meaning—as he comments,
“This is a sad song masquerading as a happy one. Or maybe vice versa? This might be the first song I’ve written where the first verse is a disclaimer—and, yes, I am talking to YOU with this one.
This is about spiritual homes, the geography of the heart, and waking up in a weird, hard world where the birds still sing.” There is an acknowledgement that nothing good can exist without something bad, or maybe nothing bad can exist without some sort of goodness. In this very comfortable-sounding song, Fruit Bats desperately try to find comfort in that turbulent notion.
out now on Merge Records
The Fat Angel Sings 