''The Fall of Hobo Johnson'' is the third album by American musician Hobo Johnson, released on September 13, 2019. It is his first major-label album. It was preceded by the singles "Typical Story" and "Uglykid".

Content

''The Fall of Hobo Johnson'' is a departure stylistically from Johnson's previous album, incorporating more musical elements instead of the first album's predominantly spoken word focus. The album explores a wide range of genres and influences, with ABC's Debbie Carr saying that "From

hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...

and punk to rap, jazz and neo-soul, there’s a multitude of influences trickling into all twelve tracks." Thematically, the album covers the theme of "raw, unadulterated emotions: anger, sadness, lust, self-hatred, ndlonging", among others. Album opener and lead single "Typical Story" is a

rap rock Rap rock is a fusion genre that fuses vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop with various forms of rock. Rap rock's most popular subgenres include rap metal and rapcore, which include heavy metal and hardcore punk-oriented influences, resp ...

song with lyrics telling a "wildly improbable tale", and what NPR's Robin Hilton described as a "ridiculously catchy group chorus". "Uglykid" is a "jazzy slow jam", and features electropop artist and singer-songwriter

Elohim ''Elohim'' (: ), the plural of (), is a Hebrew word meaning "gods". Although the word is plural, in the Hebrew Bible it usually takes a singular verb and refers to a single deity, particularly (but not always) the God of Israel. At other times ...

. The song "You & the Cockroach" is in a

slam poetry A poetry slam is a competitive art event in which poets perform spoken word poetry before a live audience and a panel of judges. While formats can vary, slams are often loud and lively, with audience participation, cheering and dramatic delivery. ...

style, and contains lyrics humorously covering the topics of religion, government, and then-president Donald Trump's interactions with North Korea. "Subaru Crosstrek XV" is a "playful story-song" with lyrics praising Johnson's Subaru Crosstrek. '' The Atlantics Spencer Kornhaber said the song was a "rejoinder to hip-hop boasting", comparing it to the satirical hits made by the rapper Macklemore. The song "Ode to Justin Bieber" contains lyrics relating to singer Justin Bieber's struggles with fame at a young age. "February 15th" is a short

breakup song A breakup song is a song describing the breakup of an intimate relationship, with associated emotions of sadness, frustration, anger, and sometimes of acceptance or relief. As one source states (discussing the upbeat breakup song " Better Things ...

recorded live. "Sorry, My Dear" contains lyrics referencing

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

, and uses "robotic vocal manipulation" alongside explosive passages of drums and guitars, in what Kornhaber calls "an inversion of the suffering-worship behind '90s and 2000s nu metal". The album closer "I Want a Dog" is about Johnson's tendency of setting unrealistically high expectations of what he wants in life, and not being able to be satisfied with what he has.

Release and singles

"Typical Story", released as a single in the leadup to the album's release, reached the No. 30 spot on Billboard's US Hot Rock Songs chart and No. 25 on the US

Alternative Songs Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-played ...

chart. The album itself debuted at No. 99 on the US Billboard 200, and No. 98 in the United Kingdom.

Reception

Critical reception

In a positive review, NME's Will Lavin praised the album's relatability and humor and Johnson's "addictive persona", comparing the sonic textures and personality of the record to Macklemore and

Chance the Rapper Chancelor Johnathan Bennett (born April 16, 1993), known professionally as Chance the Rapper, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer. Born and raised in Chicago, Bennett released his debut mixtape '' 10 Day'' in 2012. He ...

, while criticizing moments he felt were too left-field and poorly arranged on "Ode to Justin Bieber" and "Sorry, My Dear". In a mixed review, AllMusic's Timothy Monger said that despite there being an "odd sweetness to ohnson'srants", the album is "a kitchen sink of unfocused ideas" which "nervously pings in too many directions to really make an impact.

Accolades

Track listing

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fall of Hobo Johnson 2019 albums