Chicago’s beloved Ratboys will release their new album, The Window, on August 25 via Topshelf Records. Now, they share ‘Morning Zoo,’ which opens with a quick cascade of drums and swelling violin by Abby Gundersen. As Julia Steiner sings about battling anxiety, her vocals have never sounded so weighty and strong, reminding us the never-ending fight is worth it: “Talk to myself all the time / Waiting on the long train / The Devil’s right behind / Stuck in the passing lane / How long does it take / To find the peace that I want?”
“The lyrics are meant to express the frustration and confusion that comes along with hanging out at a personal crossroads, where every day feels the same and the same big questions keep nagging at you from the back of your head,” says Steiner. “It’s that small, lingering feeling of numb indecision, of pesky anxiety- like disassociating at a stop sign or weighing all your biggest hopes and fears while stuck behind the longest freight train you’ve ever seen.”