Josh Rouse
1972
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Josh Rouse
1972
Rykodisc, 2003
RiYL: Joe Henry, Lambchop, Wilco |
Rouse, a Midwesterner-by-way-of-Nashville, has for some reason or another been mistakenly lopped into the same category as Ryan Adams, Old 97s, Robbie Fulks, and countless others, despite the fact that his albums have had as much to do with the terms "alt." and "country" as the Philadelphia Eagles do with "Super" and "Bowl" (little or none).
Let's face it: from day one, Rouse has never been a folk singer, or even a wannabe folk singer. From his stirring debut Dressed Up Like Nebraska to last year's brilliant Under Cold Blue Stars, Rouse has about as much twang in him as Yale blueblood George W. Bush.
Perhaps it's his Nashville roots, or his collaborations with Lambchop frontman Kurt Wagner (who, incidentally, is also wrongly considered alt.country), but Rouse is no country singer. He is, however, a confident singer/songwriter who seems -- like Joe Henry before him -- to be pushing the envelope of his talents a little bit further than many of his peers.
Under Cold Blue Stars, for example, offered a glimpse into what Wilco's masterpiece Yankee Hotel Foxtrot might have sounded like had they continued in their Summerteeth vein.
The album, from the undeniably catchy "Miracle" to the stark "The Whole Night Through," was as solid an album as was released in 2002, mixing psychedelic Wurlitzers and dreamy keyboards with straight-up, old-fashioned acoustic rock.
On 1972, Rouse pushes the envelope in a completely different direction, and with modest, although not total, success, he delivers an album that will rival the New Pornographers' Electric Version as the -- for lack of a better word -- most fun album of the year.
The album is Rouse's first "theme" record, based loosely around the year of his birth, 1972. He plows through some of the funky, soulful genres of that year fruitfully, the arrangements underpinned by his lazy baritone. He is not as successful with his experimentations with rhythm and blues; he doesn't quite have the voice to do Barry White, as evidenced by "Under Your Charms."
That said, 1972 is solid. Rouse is not afraid to take chances and simply have a good time, something many bands today don't seem all that inclined to do. Unlike Electric Version, which is the New Pornographers having fun with what they do best, 1972 is Rouse having fun experimenting with music most singer/songwriters won't touch with a 10-foot pole.
The album opens with the slow "1972," a pensive number inspired by Carole King and a trip to the local McDonalds. Its not a total success, but it does set the tone for the rest of the record.
Rouse attempts his first arena-sized call-and-response chorus on "Love Vibration," a funky number with shades of Kool & The Gang and, oddly enough, The Clash. Although enjoyable, it does get a little repetitive, with the lines "Yeah, I think you all know what I'm talking about / Yeah, We think you all know what he's talking about" repeated over and over.
"Slaveship," the fifth song, suffers from much of the same fate. However, Rouse shines on "James," "Sparrows Over Birmingham" and the startling reflective closer "Rise," as good a song as he's ever written.
"Sparrows" is a slight experiment, mixing his trademark acoustic flits and flutters with a twinge of gospel. The song paints a dramatic picture about a paraplegic marrying a preacher, or at least that's what he says in his press materials. You'll just have to take his word for it.
It is "Rise," though, that is his strongest performance on the record. A quiet, simple, catchy acoustic tune about the lonely single life, it is remarkably optimistic and buoyed by the bouncy bass and drum beat: "And I rise / to greet you / in the morning / It's the honest things / the honest things / they last," he croons over soft guitars and subtle percussion.
1972 may not set the world afire or land on many "must-have" lists, but it is a refreshing change of pace for Rouse, someone who, if he really wanted, could make many such lists. It is a clear affirmation that Rouse is in the business for the music, not vice versa.
RODEO ROB | An expert on all things "alt," Rob spends his days covering the energy industry and his nights covering the DC-area bars. Raise yer glass especially high to this man, for he has contributed to this site constantly since its creation four years ago.