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,
airs out his grievances, his sincerest desires, and his visions of society and humanity at large. ~ Timothy Monger