Ring in the New Rouse

what a friendly looking chap 

Josh Rouse – Saturday


Josh Rouse – It’s the Nighttime

Continuing in the singer-songwriter row I’ve been a-plowing lately, here’s some freshly unearthed lil ditties. These two songs are from Josh Rouse’s new album, “Nashville”. Amazon.com describes the new album better than I feel like spending the time to do, so I’ll let them give you the overview:

Don't be fooled by the title of Josh Rouse's fifth solo album. Yes, the singer-songwriter lived in the commercial country music capital for nearly a decade. Yes, he has been known to use the occasional pedal steel guitar. And okay, there is a soft southern lilt to his voice. But there are no rhinestone-studded cowboy hats or tattered American flags to be found in this "Nashville," an album of gentle AM radio nostalgia and understated folk-rock beauty. Influenced in equal parts by Marvin Gaye, Bob Dylan, and the Smiths, Rouse moves gracefully between intimate acoustic ballads ("Saturday") and handclap-drenched pop songs ("Winter In The Hamptons"), all the while delivering more personality and deft songwriting than his platinum-certified neighbors could ever conceive. - Aidin Vaziri

Rouse’s previous album, “1972” was one of my favorite albums of ’03/’04, and “Nashville” might as well be applying for an extension. “1972” was a veritable gateway drug that enticed me, seduced me, and ultimately led me on an upward spiral to singer-songwriterland. The last two songs on this album are a letdown, but the first 7 or 8 songs more than make up for the last two stinkers. With "1972" and "Nashville", Rouse has almost made it onto my shortlist where I’m buying whatever he’s sellin’…

The song “Saturday” is so far my favorite. It’s on more of the quiet, slower end of the album’s spectrum (translation: no handclaps on this one). Devastatingly beautiful, though. The best song I’ve heard in awhile. “It’s the Nighttime” is the lead-off song and it’s more typical of Rouse’s pop stylings (translation: there ARE handclaps on this one). Lately, I’ve been a sucker for songs that employ handclaps to ridiculous lengths (see “T-Rex”). “It’s the Nighttime” has a modest amount of handclaps in the chorus, and there’s even some tasteful pedal steel up in the mix. Kinda like steel drums, pedal steel guitars can sound great when used in moderation. Just don’t let a couple pedal steel licks scare you away. Pedal steel guitars may be the sonic signposts of “new country”, but they don’t bite.