Ratboys - Singin’ To An Empty Chair
2026 • NEW WEST RECORDS • INDIE ROCK / ALT-COUNTRY
89/100
Allow me to be biased and sentimental for a moment to talk about my dear friends in Ratboys. It’s been a long road for Julia Steiner, lead singer and songwriter of Chicago’s own. They’ve been a band for nearly 15 years at this point, if you can believe it. And while those early iterations (then just Ratboy) featured lineup differences and a much more lo-fi core, the heart of it has always been the distinguishable voice of Julia alongside Dave Sagan on guitar. I even recall playing a show with a short-lived band of mine at the now-defunct Township in Logan Square (real ones know).
Since then, Julia & co. have continued to steadily bloom, outputting album after album, each showing more growth than the last. The band solidified with core members Marcus Nuccio (Pet Symmetry) and Sean Neumann, and 2023’s The Window finally brought them to a point where they knew exactly who they were: confident and complete. To no surprise, The Window was my album of the year.
Now we are here in 2026, with each successive record getting better and better in both songwriting and production. Their new album, Singin' To An Empty Chair, keeps that trend going. It is undoubtedly their most well-produced work to date, teaming up for a back-to-back with legendary producer Chris Walla. The pairing is perfect; as I dug into the tracks, I found myself hearing the seedlings of that classic Death Cab For Cutie sound. The opening track, “Open Up,” immediately sent me to that place. The song sets the tone for the album’s central theme: extending a hand and starting a dialogue—in this particular case, with an estranged family member.
That’s what Julia aims for throughout the record, exploring that reach in different ways. There’s “Just Want You To Know The Truth,” a wistful ballad longing for a past with a loved one that doesn’t seem to exist anymore. Then there is “At Peace in the Hundred Acre Wood,” where we find it’s time to let go after you’ve done all you can, finally finding comfort in the people who stayed. The members of Ratboys are lucky to have exactly that: an extended family of friends that embodies everything great about the Chicago music scene right now.
As I said, the production is their most polished to date. Despite the emotion-laced lyrics, many of these songs are—simply put—bops. They act as a patchwork of styles and atmospheres, mimicking the flickering memories Steiner invokes. “Penny In The Lake” might be their twangiest effort yet, alongside “Go Outside.” But the standout is the first single, “Light Night Mountains All That,” a thrilling, jammy track that just goes and goes, featuring unexpected chord progressions that feel almost proggy at times.
Singin' To An Empty Chair as a whole feels comfortable. I don’t mean that it’s "safe"—it’s a warm blanket, a sanctuary. It’s something you can put on and experience waves of nostalgia and genuine emotion.
I’ve been so lucky to watch Ratboys grow over the years. You could always tell something special was brewing. After all this time, I can’t describe the level of joy it gives me to see so many more people sharing the love for this band. I think that’s a shared bond Julia would appreciate, too.
NBA COMP: JIMMY BUTLER
Slow and steady wins the race. Last pick of the 1st round who grinded it out to become the best version of themself. Truly iconic and doing things their way.
