I thought The Window, the last album from the Chicago band Ratboys, was one of the very best albums of 2023. Given that, I have sky-high expectations for new music from the quarter, which makes it especially thrilling to report that their new single, “Anywhere,” is about as good as a modern rock song can be. Punchy and catchy with surprisingly little squiggles of guitar, the track finds Julia Steiner singing about a tumultuous, codependent relationship with poignant clarity: “I would love to be your shadow/ Living in my perfect life/ But, some nights it’s total darkness/ Deep breaths, it’s fine it’s fine it’s fine.” It reminds me of those instance back in the day when a new tune from the likes of the Connells or Possum Dixon would come out and offer a snappy reminder of just how immediately arresting a straightforward, honestly rendered rock song could be.

Singin’ to an Empty Chair, the new album from Ratboys, is scheduled for release in February.