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Reviews of new releases by Jens Lekman, Big Thief, and Christian McBride Big Band
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Fruit Bats
The Pet Parade
(Merge)
★★★★
“HELLO from here to you all out there/It feels like it has been years.” I’m not sure when the opening words to the Fruit Bats’ ninth album were written, but their lonely delivery makes them perfect for the Covid years.
Having worked under the Fruit Bats moniker for 20 years, US musician Eric D Johnson — also active with Bonny Light Horseman — has created an impressive set of mercurial Americana on this album.
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