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.
Showing posts with label josh rouse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label josh rouse. Show all posts
Monday, November 20, 2006
Thursday, September 28, 2006
I ain't never been to Nashville, but I know what it's like...
By Christina R.
We all try desperately to find that one album we can listen to over and over again because when we do find it, our search is over, right? Well, maybe. I thought I found that one album about two years ago, but this summer I was proven wrong.
Led by my own curiosity and a recommendation from a very reliable friend, I purchased Josh Rouse’s Nashville. It begins with a rough acoustic guitar going over the same few chords over and over again. Rouse’s scruffy yet sweet voice lets flow the sweet nothings of loving observation. “You play your stereo loud / you got your headphone on / I see you dancing around / to your favorite song,” he sings. “It’s the nighttime, baby,” he says, “don’t let go of my love.” It’s a simple love song, but it’s catchy as hell.
Each of Rouse’s albums seems to have distinctive sounds, and Nashville is no exception. You can feel the difference between this album, released in 2005 and the more disco inflected 1972 released in 2003. Before the release of Nashville, Rouse’s marriage ended, and he moved from Nashville, Tenn. to Spain. The album, mixing upbeat melodies with, at times, heartbreaking lyrics sums up that feeling of having to move on.
Perhaps one of the best examples of that feeling is the heart wrenching “My Love Has Gone.” The starts with a dreamy yet surprisingly cheerful harmonica, leading into Rouse’s lament: “Love ain’t on my side / love ain’t special / love ain’t great / lost in a fog / I’m using spite to find my way / where did you go / I still curse you to this day / I miss her smile / I miss her laughing in my face.”
The album is the perfect album for when you’re up and about, and it’s the perfect album for that not oh-so-sun-shiny day. In all my years, I’ve never found an album I loved more. Give it a listen, and perhaps you’ll feel the same.
We all try desperately to find that one album we can listen to over and over again because when we do find it, our search is over, right? Well, maybe. I thought I found that one album about two years ago, but this summer I was proven wrong.
Led by my own curiosity and a recommendation from a very reliable friend, I purchased Josh Rouse’s Nashville. It begins with a rough acoustic guitar going over the same few chords over and over again. Rouse’s scruffy yet sweet voice lets flow the sweet nothings of loving observation. “You play your stereo loud / you got your headphone on / I see you dancing around / to your favorite song,” he sings. “It’s the nighttime, baby,” he says, “don’t let go of my love.” It’s a simple love song, but it’s catchy as hell.
Each of Rouse’s albums seems to have distinctive sounds, and Nashville is no exception. You can feel the difference between this album, released in 2005 and the more disco inflected 1972 released in 2003. Before the release of Nashville, Rouse’s marriage ended, and he moved from Nashville, Tenn. to Spain. The album, mixing upbeat melodies with, at times, heartbreaking lyrics sums up that feeling of having to move on.
Perhaps one of the best examples of that feeling is the heart wrenching “My Love Has Gone.” The starts with a dreamy yet surprisingly cheerful harmonica, leading into Rouse’s lament: “Love ain’t on my side / love ain’t special / love ain’t great / lost in a fog / I’m using spite to find my way / where did you go / I still curse you to this day / I miss her smile / I miss her laughing in my face.”
The album is the perfect album for when you’re up and about, and it’s the perfect album for that not oh-so-sun-shiny day. In all my years, I’ve never found an album I loved more. Give it a listen, and perhaps you’ll feel the same.
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