Album Review: Fruit Bats - ‘The Landfill’

The Landfill, the upcoming album from Fruit Bats, expected June 12, 2026, is one to play on your next roadtrip, while you’re at the beach, or for a solo dance party while cooking dinner. It opens with “The Saddest Part of the Song,” a more energetic opening than one may initially expect from the title of the song. This introduction to The Landfill demonstrates Eric D. Johnson’s combination of the emotionally raw with musical elements of fun and vibrancy. Even in lower moments of the record, singing of lost love and lost opportunities, the rhythm section and delightful tones from the electric guitar and keyboard keep listeners afloat while processing some of the more difficult themes presented by the lyrics. One of my favorite songs from the record, “Fishin’ Vision” belongs on playlists like “Bass Pro Shop Diva,” “Sunlight Through Raindrops,” and “Driving Through the Mountains.”

The title track concludes the project with reflective acceptance. Johnson marries mournfulness and hope in the same breath with “The Landfill,” singing, “This is the end of the movie…what such a sad, sweet story…I always knew you would end up somewhere good.” Here at Alt Revue, we’ve ended up somewhere good after listening to this record. 

Rating - 9/10