Tripper Sub Pop****

They may have been demoted to side project status since leader Eric Johnson joined The Shins full-time in 2009, but there's no sense of coat-tail riding on the part of Fruit Bats. The Chicagoans have already released four albums, including 2009's likeable (if patchy) The Ruminant Band. Trippermends the gaps in sound that needed repairing, standing proud and tall as Johnson's most comprehensive work to date. You're Too Weirdis a harmonious acoustic number that leans towards 1970s soft rock, while The Banishment Songtakes a gentle Vetiver-esque psychedelic folk slant. Further new explorations in the band's sound are heard on the old-time rock'n'roll of Dollyand So Long. Yes, Tripperis a side project, but don't confuse that term with second-rate cast-offs: this is top-drawer stuff. See fruitbatsmusic.com

Download tracks: You're Too Weird, So Long