Ratboys – “Crossed That Line”

Alexa Viscius

Ratboys – “Crossed That Line”

Alexa Viscius

In a few weeks, Chicago indie rockers Ratboys will release The Window, the new album that they recorded with producer and former Death Cab dude Chris Walla. It’s shaping up to be fucking awesome. Up until now, Ratboys have released three singles from the LP — “Black Earth, WI,” “It’s Alive!,” and the title track — and all three have shown up in our best-songs-of-the-week column. We actively try not to do that! We’re not trying to overhype anyone or to spam you with all the singles from one upcoming album, but these Ratboys songs are just that fucking good. Today, we get another one.

“Crossed That Line,” the latest of the Ratboys singles, is the most straight-up punk thing that they’ve yet shared from the album. The song is barely two minutes long, and Chris Walla records it with a sense of lo-fi urgency. It’s a fired-up pummel about going to a basement show and understanding that some guy is “fucking dumb.” The band plays it fast and mean, with a very fun garage-rock guitar solo, but their hooks shine as bright as ever. Listen below.

The Window is out 8/25 on Topshelf Records.

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