Pop music can often be a downer. As Nick Hornby wrote in the opening of Hi Fidelity: “Was I miserable because I listened to pop music, or did I listen to pop music because I’m miserable. (End paraphrase.) It’s a classic chicken-and-egg question, the inevitable stumper of “Which came first?” But – and there’s always that but – music exists of another sort; music that’s upbeat and lively and enjoyable despite lacking that sad undertone. And Fruit Bats are such a band – their video for the title track off their recent LP, The Ruminant Band, follows suit.

There’s a point here, and it’s that this video takes something that is so often an unhappy moment and gives it an upbeat twist – a funeral. Yes, here it’s a downright joyous occasion; a celebration of life, if you will. Be that as it may, the ending is a little surprising – but they don’t appear to lose any of that honoring of the deceased, even if things do seem a tad bit “heated” toward the end.

The Ruminant Band is out now on Sub Pop.

Fruit Bats: The Ruminant Band [mp3]

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