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Prefix Magazine

The album’s affinity for traditional hooks, mixed with Johnson’s ability to depart from the traditional makes this album one of the Fruit Bats most listenable and enjoyable.

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The Onion (A.V. Club)

Stripped of reference points, The Ruminant Band is an uncomplicated, easygoing success that suggests Johnson shouldn’t get too busy to give Fruit Bats due attention.

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Alternative Press

Where a lot of new bands drop the ball is not quite capturing the state of bliss that made so many of those hippue classics what they were. But that's not a problem on The Ruminant Band. [Sep 2009, p.104]

Delusions of Adequacy

The Ruminant Band opens up the Fruit Bats aesthetic and is a welcome addition to both late summer and a terrific discography.

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Dusted Magazine

You could miss whole philosophies by following the guitar line too closely…and forgo featherbeds of tuneful pleasures by worrying too much about the words. And yet, ride the line just right, and meaning floods translucently simple songs, lighting them up from inside and transforming them.

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Drowned In Sound

This is one made like they used to make ‘em--and it’s utterly gorgeous to boot.

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Filter

The tunes are still catchy, head-bobbing and toe-tapping, a kind of summer soundtrack that brightens your mood even if it doesn't quite make you smile, and sometimes that's all an album needs to be. [Summer 2009, p.103]

Pitchfork

All this means that Fruit Bats, like their contemporaries, could unfortunately be passed over due to sheer familiarity. That'd be a shame, because The Ruminant Band only gets more rewarding as it settles in.

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PopMatters

The Ruminant Band isn’t exactly Johnson and his band hitting their stride--because they were moving along just fine to begin with--but it is a clearing away of the few things that held them back.

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Under The Radar

The Ruminant Band has a bit of a rushed feel at times, but ultimately it's a worthy addition to an already impressive catalog. [Summer 2009, p.61]

All Music Guide

The Ruminant Band is generally a happy affair, though, and cameo appearances by Califone's Tim Rutili and Jim Becker help chart the Fruit Bats' migration from bedroom side project to full-fledged band.

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Mojo

Much of The Ruminant Band comes sunny side up. [Sep 2009, p.90]

Spin

This folkie indie-pop band doesn’t slam you with hooks on its fourth album--everything is catchy in a modest, reasonable way.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 8.8 (out of 10) based on 5 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Ryan S. gave it an8:
Another good one from Fruit Bats.

Hello H. gave it an8:
This is definitely the best Fruit Bats record thus far. I have always thought they had some great tunes, but now I feel like it's full-blown.

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Ruminant Band

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