Chicago-based indie rockers Ratboys first came to prominence in the 2010s, mounting tours with bands like Foxing and Wild Pink, and releasing well-received albums like GN (2017) and Printer's Devil (2020).[3] The band began writing the album in 2020, and spent the following year practicing the songs twice a week to explore their possibilities. The album was produced by Chris Walla. The band had first met Walla on a tour stop in Montreal, and he agreed to produce the album in 2021.[4] In preparation, the group sent voice memos to Walla, who offered suggestions. The album was recorded across twenty-four days in February 2022 at Walla's Hall of Justice Recording in Seattle.[4] Walla assisted the band in recording to tape for their first time.[2] Steiner considered the album's lyrical content more directly specific than ever before: "A lot of the songs are more personal, more real, [and] more honest," she stated.[3]
Steiner wrote the title track about an experience her grandfather had at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unable to say goodbye to his ailing wife due to pandemic restrictions, he simply saw her through the nursing home window.[5] The song's music video depicts a young couple finding romance amidst scenes set in a grassy field or at the county fair.[6] "Black Earth, WI" is an eight-minute overture with roots rock overtones that was completed in two takes.[2] "Morning Zoo" tackles anxiety-ridden indecision,[7] while "Crossed That Line" was originally meant to soundtrack a friend's film about a fictional punk band.[4]
In support of the album, the band will embark on their first domestic headlining tour.[1]
The Window received a score of 80 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on six critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception.[8]The Skinny's Tony Inglis wrote that the album "is indicative of a newfound assuredness for a band which itself has stretched from a two-piece to a full foursome".[10] Marcy Donelson of AllMusic described The Window as "a volatile [set] that continues a gradual shift in balance toward harsher guitar tones and more energy without shunning the ambling, jangly alt-country that has co-existed with the band's Breeders-revering alt-rock side since their full-length debut".[9]
