Unassuming is a fitting word to describe Ratboys maturation as artists. In their earliest work, founding members in vocalist and guitarist Julia Steiner and guitarist Dave Sagan embellished the scrappier corners of their punked up post-country vibe, but as time wore on — and two additional full-time members later in bassist Sean Neumann and drummer Marcus Nuccio — the Chicago four-piece tightened up their craft, smoothed out the melodies, and in doing so, became one of the more consistent bands to safely fall in love with. Detail rich with Steiner’s wistfully biographical storytelling and an ahead-of-curve turn on indie rock winding country roads all over their style map well before Big Thief and Wednesday made it into a look, Ratboys became a thing of pandemic comfort food on 2020’s Printer’s Devil. It’s on their fourth studio effort, The Window, where Ratboys get their flowers in them properly. Working alongside former Death Cab for Cutie bassist and producer Chris Walla, the humble nature of their sound is still omnipresent, but in this view, everything feels bigger about it without necessarily losing any of the focus on their strengths. Steiner’s songwriting delivers everything from arguably one of the year’s best songs and cry-alongs on “The Window” to a covert relationship origin stories surrounding their own narrative that would make Taylor Swift’s folk telling envious on “I Want You [Fall 2010]”.) When they go big, they do so without needing to dumb down the hooks. They just go for broke like they do on a sprawling epic like “Black Earth, WI” where the trip begins a bit groovy, proceeds to rips a giant solo straight through the sun, and comes right back to center with a soft strum (“No Way” and “Break” do that as well in smaller doses, but take this as a sign that Ratboys are ready for much bigger stages.) Hat off to choosing the right recording partnership in Walla as well. His presence doesn’t let a single detail in their sound to be obscured from the surface, from the way every instrument harmonizes, especially on the album’s more bombastic moments like “Making Noise for the Ones You Love”, “Morning Zoo” and “Empty”. The Window definitely wouldn’t be what it is without Julia Steiner being on her finest point with her pen, though, either. Looking out on the world outside, she captures the thrills of being alive through a panorama ranging from grief, comfort, anxiety, to a happy kind of sad. Through it all, you’re happy to be a part of seeing it.

Highlights: “Making Noise for the Ones You Love”, “The Window”, “Black Earth, WI”

Ratboys’ The Window will be released August 25th on Topshelf Records.