Singin’ to an Empty Chair, Ratboys’ sixth studio album, traipses through emotional landscapes with hard-earned indie rock cohesion and a mature curiosity, landing the album somewhere between an ode to a decade together and a new sonic horizon for the Chicago-based quartet. With louder and lusher tracks in their repertoire, the group leans into catharsis rooted in the idea behind the record’s name: “Even if it is an empty chair that you're performing for, singing to, that act of sharing is powerful in itself,” says vocalist and lyricist Julia Steiner. Read more in the Chronicle’s interview with Ratboys online. – Caroline Drew
