Long-time fans of Fruit Bats know that Eric D. Johnson has a way with an easy hook, and a lot of down-tempo charm. The loose indie of earlier efforts was a little peppier than what's on Baby Man, the new Fruit Bats record. That said, Johnson has sacrificed volume for a little more intimacy here in 2025.
"Let You People Down" sounds like the Fruit Bats of old, with a nice chorus that pulls the song up from the lower verses. That one is a great opener. Elsewhere, the haunting title cut finds Johnson at his most plaintive, while the quietly spry "Creature from the Wild" has a rustic charm which is damn near impossible not to love. "Building a Cathedral", a real highlight here, sounds like earlier Fruit Bats singles like "The Balcony", only completely stripped down. That one sits nicely near a lovely cover of "First Girl I Loved" by Robin Williamson.
Baby Man is a record which grew on me. On first listen, the starkness threw me. However, after playing this a couple of times, subtle pleasures would reveal themselves, like an acoustic guitar hook, or a hint of strings adding emphasis behind Eric D. Johnson's voice. This might be the simplest Fruit Bats album in quite some time, but that doesn't mean it's not wildly affecting, and utterly lovely. Highly recommended.
Baby Man by Fruit Bats is out on Friday from Merge Records.
[Photo: Chantal Anderson]