REVIEW: Ratboys @ The Sinclair 2/28

Photo Credit: Miles Kalchik

Review by Robin Sheng

On February 28, Midwestern indie rock band Ratboys performed at the intimate, 525 capacity venue that is The Sinclair of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Active since 2011, the band of four have released six total studio albums. Their 2023 record “The Window” was received with particular critical acclaim, and it also featured some of my personal favorites from the band, especially the opener “Making Noise For the Ones You Love.” From February to April, the band will be touring across the U.S. in promotion of their newest album “Singin’ to an Empty Chair”. I had the great pleasure of attending this fourth stop on tour. 

After opener Florry delivered a distinctly chaotic and yet highly resonant performance, Ratboys took the stage, opening with the new record’s opening track, “Open Up.” Beginning with just a strummed acoustic guitar backing, the song gradually developed into a heartfelt invitation for recipients to embrace honesty. 

For the second song of the night, “Know You Then,” lead singer Julia Steiner told the audience that she was particularly excited for the performance because it is the only song of the set where she plays a guitar solo – she implies this task to be rather challenging for her. The room was filled with applause from the audience as Steiner played the section flawlessly.

“Light Night Mountains All That” was a particular highlight of the show for me. The band’s performance sonically dilated the instrumentals, featuring additional noisy and dissonant guitar sections not present in the studio recording; further expanding on the sparse yet passionate, nocturnal landscape of the song. The band made a clever choice to dim the stage lights and segue from the short acoustic campfire song “Strange Love,” whose approachable atmosphere made the sudden transition into “Light Night Mountains and All That” all the more expansive. The outro was also filled with extra layers of vivid instrumentation and intense drumming, differentiating itself from the studio track.

“What’s Right?” was another highlight. Similar to “Light Night Mountains and All That”, the stage lights were set to their dimmest. This was very appropriate for the somewhat mysterious and tense atmosphere of the song, whose narrative is delivered in particular by its propulsive rhythm section. The song made a surprising transition after its bridge to an even tenser section; Steiner’s vocals became increasingly urgent and attentive to the beat. 

Simply put, most of Ratboys’ songs felt fun to be in the room interacting with. This is best exemplified by “Victorian Slumhouse”, a rather deep cut from their 2020 album “Printer’s Devil”, which they apparently only played due to the request of a special audience member present at the show. The song features an easygoing atmosphere and some very intricate melodies. What stands out about it, however, is the unique guitar strumming pattern that adds an element of playfulness to an otherwise simple song. The performance was also enhanced by the gradual progression leading the audience into a rather energetic outro. There is also the catchy “Anywhere,” which had an energy that made it feel like it could be a hit of any era.  

In contrast to their more simplistic songs, “Just Want You to Know the Truth” was an extremely emotional, vulnerable, cathartic seven minutes of release, incorporating sincere lyrics with a fantastic instrumental bridge section. “The Window,” their most well-known song, was also performed with particular attention to its emotional expression. 

Ratboys ended the main section of the concert with another long performance, “Burn It Down”. Before they began the song, they delivered a message denouncing ICE. They explained how the song was written specifically in response to current waves of repression and tyranny, making its resonance particularly strong for the audience. The set ended on a high note with an encore performance of “Black Earth, WI.” It’s a slightly meandering, but nevertheless thoroughly fun, song that encapsulates what is unique about the band – their playfulness, cohesion, and willingness to experiment with distinct structures.