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Album Details

• Artist: Josh Rouse
• Album: Nashville
• Label: Rykodisc
• Year of Release: 2005
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: dscanland on 2005-05-18

Josh Rouse has a place in my heart as one of my favorite singer-songwriters. Nashville is his fifth proper album, not including his project with Lambchop's Kurt Wagner and it's maintained the bar he raised with his 2002 effort Under Cold Blue Stars. I really enjoyed his soul feeling on 1972 but Nashville has even more of that sound that grows on you, something that Rouse has developed over the years and with Nashville, perfected. The album opens with the beautiful "It's The Nighttime", a song that sets the pace for the rest of the album. His guitar riffs really aren't that difficult but I think it's his very sincere vocals that make his music so beautiful. The funny thing with Josh Rouse is that anybody interested in adult oriented pop would dig him but he's never broken into the mainstream. All the underground world loves his light rock but again, he's never crossed over so he's our little dirty secret and Nashville is the next volume in this saga. The name Nashville might give you an impression that this is Josh's country album but although there is a slight twang to a few of the songs, they really aren't a whole lot different than previous efforts. The only big difference is that he even sounds more mature. Josh remains one of my favorites and will remain so until he drops half a ladder in class. I mean, throw on "Caroline" for any pop fan who has yet to hear Josh and watch their excitement as they discover a new favorite artist.

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