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Josh RouseAlbums ReviewedUnder Cold Blue Stars (2002)1972 (2003) Nashville (2005) Subtitulo (2006) Dressed Up Like Nebraska(1998)Chester (with Kurt Wagner)(1999)Home(2000)Courtesy of Belgium's own Guy Peters, I have Rouse's EP with Lambchop's Kurt Wagner, Chester, which is good but which I don't feel like starting the page with. I've never seen the other two records at all. Under Cold Blue Stars(2002)Nebraskan born singer-songwriter Josh Rouse grew up inspired by British bands like The Smiths and The Cure, and his music reflects both the homespun feeling of the American Midwest and the introverted yet poppy sound of the bands that influenced him. At the time of writing Rouse had just finished touring as a support act for John Mayer, yet his thoughtful songs and plain voice are unlikely to ever find a mass audience, while his fondness for pop hooks and straightforward sensibilities don't win him friends at Pitchforkmedia.com. So Rouse is stuck in musical limbo, too clever for the mainstream but too white bread for hipsters, and he's limited to fans of heartfelt, catchy song writing. He's not dissimilar from Freedy Johnston in his economical song writing style, although he's more willing than Johnston to experiment with different textures and styles. Rouse released his debut album in 1998, and 2002's Under Cold Blue Stars is his third full length release. A concept album concerning the romance and dissipation of a smalltown couple in 1950s America, it's surprisingly effective at maintaining the story arc without ever being too explicit, travelling from first love ("Nothing gives me pleasure like you do/Nothing has the strength to pull me through") to infidelity and parting ("Next time you're in town/Don't bother coming around you're not welcome anymore"). Sonically, the use of analogue synthesisers as a lead instrument gives the album an extra melodic focus, juxtaposing nicely against its gritty guitars, while he's not afraid to use rhythms that are funkier than his Americana categorisation would suggest possible. Rouse's impressive falsetto belies the above description of his voice as plain - it's able to add life to the soulful, insistent 'Nothing Gives Me A Pleasure', and the grooving title track. The songwriting highlight though, is the moody 'Christmas With Jesus' , mournfully paced and awash in gritty guitars , it boils down the tension in the marriage between the Christian and non-Christian protagonists into four poignant lines ("And I ask of the Lord to spare me His sword of forgiveness/'Cause it's so very hard to ask for a part in your Christmas with Jesus"). The other key track follows 'Christmas With Jesus' in the centre of the album, 'Ugly Stories', the story of infidelity which is notable for its depressed, resigned feel that's devoid of anger. The second half of the album is less immediate, as it's slower and more pensive, which is most of the reason that Under Cold Blue Stars isn't getting a higher rating, but there's still the defiant pessimism of 'Feeling No Pain' and the relaxed 'Summer Kitchen Ballad' to provide focal points. Managing to squeeze some great songs into a coherent, interesting conceptual structure that's never overbearing, Under Cold Blue Stars is a subtly rewarding effort. 
1972(2003)Rouse uses the sonic textures of the year of his birth as the basis for 1972. Specifically, he doesn't draw so much on the fringe genres such as Black Sabbath's heavy metal or Yes' symphonic progressive rock, but on the mainstream soft rock that dominated AM radio, such as Carole King, The Carpenters and Bread, as well as touches of soul like Curtis Mayfield. After the conceptual heaviness of Under Cold Blue Stars, 1972 seems like an intentional effort to make a more light hearted album, and it's certainly hard to take a record too seriously when it features blatantly seventies touches such as prominent flute leads and cheesy guitar breaks. But despite the seventies facade, it's pretty obvious that there's some flat out brilliant material here, and the likes of 'Come Back (Light Therapy)', which might just be the catchiest pop song from 1972 and 2003 combined, and 'James', are wonderful songs no matter which way they're dressed up. It takes a few listens to realise that 'Come Back (Light Therapy)' isn't a simple boy/girl song, instead a love song addressed to the sun ("I miss my serotonin" is the opening line to the fabulous bridge), and it's stuffed with hooks, with a super infectious bass line, punchy horns and melodic flute fills in the bridge. 'James' utilises Rouse's effective falsetto, while 'Love Vibration' is an infectious, unbridled slice of joy. The record does become more serious towards the end - 'Under Your Charms' is a gorgeous attempt to reconcile sexual attraction with love, while 'Sparrows Over Birmingham' and the beautiful 'Rise' almost take on spiritual aspects. My major gripe with 1972 is that with the deliberately cheesy arrangements, it is relatively easy for this record to become irritating when the material is a little substandard, and the more straightforward pop of 'Sunshine (Come On Lady)' and 'Slaveship' are the two least effective songs on the disc. Nevertheless 1972 scores major kudos as a successful stab at a light-hearted, pop-oriented disc, from an artist who'd largely dealt in serious, introverted material up to this point.
 Nashville(2005)Even though it's called Nashville, Rouse's determination to release a ten song album almost every year suggests that his headset's still in the 1970s. And texturally, Nashville largely mines the same soft-rock territory that 1972 did, and any country elements come with the pedal steel overlays on some tracks courtesy of session stalwart Al Perkins. More significantly, these songs are much more serious and autobiographical than the festive atmosphere of 1972, reflecting on the dissolution of Rouse's marriage and his leaving of Nashville. That means it's quite different in flavour than his previous two albums; songs like 'My Love Has Gone' and 'Why Won't You Tell Me What' are extremely straightforward and unambiguous, and obviously come straight out of Rouse's own experience. As well as being more personal, this is probably a more consistent set of songs than either Under Cold Blue Stars or 1972. Stylistically, however, Nashville is somewhat unimaginative, and it would have benefited either from a tougher or a more stripped down approach. It could be argued, though, that the slick, low key approach actually adds effectiveness; the lines "Why don't you come round/Baby I've been so blue/And I sleep with the TV on/It's the only sound now love's gone" is devastating enough without the music reiterating the point, and the solemn, poised reading is perhaps the most respectful approach for 'My Love Has Gone'. On the other hand, 'Sad Eyes' dives straight into orchestrated piano ballad territory, and it's the best song on the disc, throwing in a pretty pre-chorus section ("But I'm gonna get you into the light/And I'm gonna find a way that is right") and an energetic bridge to escape falling into formula. 'Winter In The Hamptons' owes little to either Nashville or soft-rock, lifting its guitar sound straight from The Smiths, while 'Why Won't You Tell Me What' is a bluesy vamp. Rouse's pop sense is evident in 'It's The Nighttime', 'Carolina' and 'Saturday', all memorable pop choruses. There's more than meets the eye here; in many respects Nashville is an easily digestable collection of light pop songs, but there's more than enough emotional weight to lend it substance.
Subtitulo(2006)Once again Rouse follows the serious album/playful album formula, and his new album reflects his shift to Spain. Following artist girlfriend Paz Suay to Valencia on the Mediterranean coast, the album reflects its surroundings; musically, Rouse describes it as a "nylon string guitar and voice album" while Suay contributes charming backing vocals on 'The Man Who...'. Clocking in at a mere ten tracks and thirty three minutes, Subtitulo does feel slight, and I'm sure that's the intention; even the thematically darker tracks like 'Givin' It Up' and 'El Otro Lado' go down relatively easily musically, while the happier tracks like the incandescent 'It Looks Like Love' and the Fender Rhodes groove of 'His Majesty Rides' are bathed in sunlight. Regardless of my comments about Rouse's vocal anonymity earlier in the page, his voice is expressive here, ranging from a raspy low register in 'Summertime' to a breezy falsetto in 'It Looks Like Love'. As the sole guitarist on the record, Rouse takes centre stage with on the instrumental 'La Costa Blanca', easily the most abrasive piece on the disc, while he's joined in Spain by regular sidemen Brad Jones (keyboards, bass) and Marc Pisipia (drums). The most immediate song here, as evidenced by the fact that I've referenced it twice already, is 'It Looks Like Love', where the only thing that separates it from a slick soft rock hit from mid-70s AM radio are the snidely provocative lyrics. Equally hailing straight from the early seventies are the opener 'Quiet Town', which sounds like Rouse really is channelling David Gates, and the string drenched 'Wonderful'. There are other musical facets to the album though; 'Givin' It Up' and 'His Majesty Rides' lay down sunny grooves, 'The Man Who...' has explicit Spanish influences, while 'El Otro Lado' and 'Jersey Clowns' are pensive and soul-bearing. It's difficult to distinguish qualitatively between the four Rouse discs covered on this page so far - Subtitulo gets the nod as my least favourite, mainly due to its shorter length and lighter feel, but in reality it's another high class collection of songs, performed by a man who's much more purposeful than he sometimes seems at first glance.
She's Spanish, I'm American(2007)Duet EP with Paz Suay. I have this (if illegal downloading counts). Review coming sometime. |
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Written 2001-2007, Graham Fyfe
