Perhaps thanks to the concept, the album comes across as a perfectly-realised whole, from the moody horns of Twilight to the sparse but comforting closer The Whole Night Through. It’s all here – bliss, doubt, regret, nostalgia.
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Loosely based on the trials and tribulations of a fictional 1950s small-town couple (based on Rouse’s parents) Under Cold Blue Stars is a relationship record par excellence. Josh Rouse’s third isn’t just better than the run of the mill – it doesn’t lose out in comparison with the classics that clearly inspired the Nebraska-born singer-songwriter, albums like Achtung Baby and The Queen is Dead. Thankfully, Under Cold Blue Stars is just that. We’ve all thought that, but you can’t help longing for an album that is unconditionally great.
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“The critics may long for drama and scandal, but The Embers of Time often demonstrates that a simple life could be for the best.So many reviews these days end along the lines of “this is average, but it counts as good because it’s better than the usual manufactured tripe/nu-metal rubbish (delete as appropriate).” His most recent release, The Embers of Time, was one of his strongest-self-described as “my surreal, ex-pat, therapy record.” Charles Pitter astutely noted in Pop Matters. In 2014, he won a Goya Award (the Spanish equivalent of an Oscar) for best song for "Do You Really Want To Be In Love," from the film 'La Gran Familia Española.' On El Turista (2010) he even experimented with writing and singing some songs in Spanish. Subtitulo (2006) contained the international indie folk hit "Quiet Town". The follow up, Nashville (2005) continued the hot streak and expanded his audience further.Īfter relocating to Valencia, Spain with his wife Paz, Rouse has released a steady stream of high quality songs and albums. Noting that he’d earned a reputation for melancholy, he says, with a laugh, “I figured this is my career, I might as well try to enjoy it.” While the Seventies are often identified with singer-songwriters, Rouse was primarily attracted to the warmer sound of albums back then, as well as the more communal feel of the soul music of that time.
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But at the end of the day, no matter how eclectic I try to make it, it’s my voice and melodic sensibility that tie things together.”įor his breakthrough album, 1972 (2003), which happens to be the year he was born, Rouse decided to cheer up a bit. “I always became fascinated by a different style of music. “Every time I’ve made a record, I’ve tried to make it different from the last one,” says Rouse. The followup- Home (2000)-yielded the song “Directions” which Cameron Crowe used in his film Vanilla Sky. The album’s acclaim led to tours with Aimee Mann, Mark Etzel and the late Vic Chestnut. Josh Rouse was born in Nebraska, and following an itinerant upbringing he eventually landed in Nashville where he recorded his debut Dressed Like Nebraska (1998).
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They resolve without seeming overly tidy or pat. The verses draw you in with telling detail, both musical and thematic, and the choruses lift and deliver. Without pandering, they seek to satisfy both your ear and your understanding. They are clear-eyed, empathetic and penetrating. His songs present themselves to you with an open heart, an innate intelligence and an absolute lack of pretension. You don’t have to work hard to enjoy Rouse’s music. “Like a baseball player who quietly hits 30 home runs every year or a golfer who regularly finishes in the Top Ten, Josh Rouse's continued streak of excellence is easy to ignore and maybe even downplay a little” - Tim Sendra,