Hobo Johnson is the stage persona of
Frank Lopes, Jr., a California rapper and spoken word artist who, after earning a major-label contract with Reprise Records in 2017, entered the wider public consciousness as a viral entrant in NPR's 2018 Tiny Desk Contest. Following the success of his quirky pop-rap track "Peach Scone,"
Johnson toured the country with his wily backing band, the Lovemakers, while wrapping up work on his second studio album,
The Fall of Hobo Johnson. Like its predecessor, 2016's
The Rise of Hobo Johnson, the follow-up delivers another busy bouquet of semi-comedic, ultra-personal indie-rap delivered in a cracked voice that swerves between full-bore emo and confessional patter. Against a motley backdrop of raucous blown-out rock, bright jazz affectations, melodic piano voicings, and an unusual amount of cello,
Johnson airs out his grievances, his sincerest desires, and his visions of society and humanity at large. ~ Timothy Monger