"She was feelin' 1972..."

By Christina R.
Different moods call for different music. If you’re feeling angry or excited, perhaps a more upbeat album will suit your cause. But, for my money, there’s nothing more fitting for a day or night of chillin’ than Josh Rouse’s 1972.

It was the first Josh Rouse album I purchased, and it quickly became one of my favorite albums in my collection. A mix of rock and soul, with perhaps the slightest disco inflection, this album offers 10 tracks of toe-tapping fun. Alliteration aside, each track has the perfect blend of funk and cleverly worded lyrics to make anyone just sit back, relax, groove just a little and take it all in.

The album, released in 2003, presents ideas of relationships and life in clever, almost silly songs. Take for instance, track five, “Comback (Light Therapy)”. Over a funky walking bass line, Rouse declares “I miss my serotonin / my days are goin’ nowhere fast,” and that “Maybe if the sun would shine / It’d bring my happy back.” In another track, he claims himself to be “such a pretty boy.”

They’re lines that’ll bring a smile to your face; but upon a closer listen, the songs could really just be deep, albeit silly, metaphors for a lost love and detached loneliness. Rouse uses semi-unconventional ways to reach these conventional themes. It’s definitely worth a listen or two.

And you feel like toning it down just a little more, look no further than the last two tracks on the album. The rhythmic acoustic led “Sparrows Over Birmingham” stands as a gospel rock tribute to old memories, which leads right into the lighter “Rise” that makes you start tapping your foot all over again, as Rouse laments being crazy in love. “Think they’re gonna come and carry me away,” he repeats over and over again. “Think they’re gonna come and carry me away / from you.”

If you got an extra $15 bucks lying around, and you’re really itching to chillax, go get yourself a copy of Josh Rouse’s 1972. Then sit back, relax, groove just a little and take it all in.