22-03-2013, 19:28
online listen
tenth album
never heard of him
I got a Paul Simon/Seals & Crofts feel out of it
most of it too laid back for me
nothing I liked
1.3 from me and a converted 1.8 from allmusic
web site - http://www.joshrouse.com/
from the album - A Lot Like Magic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k3qthQVmqE
released Mar 19th, 2013
![[Image: MI0003484256.jpg?partner=allrovi.com]](http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_250/MI0003/484/MI0003484256.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)
Bio - from allmusic
Although born in Nebraska, singer/songwriter Josh Rouse moved to various cities throughout his
childhood and subsequent musical career, driven at first by his father's military career and
later by his desire to take inspiration from different environments. He paid tribute to his
birthplace on his 1998 debut, Dressed Up Like Nebraska, and explored the influence of his
adopted home state, Tennessee, with 2005's Nashville. Rouse later settled in Spain and explored
the country's musical traditions, although his songwriting continued to exhibit the summery,
rootsy appeal of his earlier work.
As a child, Rouse spent time in California, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, South Dakota, Georgia, and
Arizona. Music was one of the few constants in a life filled with new towns, new schools, and
new friends, and he took comfort in bands like the Smiths and the Cure. After receiving several
guitar lessons from his uncle, Rouse began writing songs as an 18-year-old and molded himself
into a skilled composer, eventually scoring a contract with the Rykodisc subsidiary Slow River.
His debut album, Dressed Up Like Nebraska, was released in 1998 to widespread critical acclaim.
He pulled up stakes shortly thereafter and resettled in Nashville, where he was befriended by
Kurt Wagner, frontman of the chamber country group Lambchop. The two began writing together and
issued a collaborative EP, Chester, in the fall of 1999.
Rouse's second solo record, Home, appeared the following spring and was followed by Under Cold
Blue Stars in 2002. He then launched a partnership with producer Brad Jones -- known for his
work with pop artists like Marshall Crenshaw, Matthew Sweet, and Jill Sobule -- and the
resulting album, 1972, was both an homage to the soft rock sounds of Rouse's youth and a
deepening of his sound. Before the release of his next album, however, Rouse's marriage ended
and he moved from Nashville to Spain. Released in 2005, Nashville served as a farewell to both
the city and his marriage; it was also his most fully realized record to date, featuring Brad
Jones' lush production and Rouse's poignant, nostalgic lyrics.
Once in Spain, Rouse settled in the small seaside town of Puerto de Santa Maria and began
writing songs shaped by his new surroundings. Jones eventually flew into town, and the two
captured a relaxed and intimate vibe on 2006's Subtitulo. After the release of two EPs (Bedroom
Classics, Vol. 2 and She's Spanish, I'm American, the latter of which was recorded with Rouse's
girlfriend, artist Paz Suay), Rouse chose to handle his own production for 2007's Country Mouse
City House. He also married Suay, became a father, and relocated to Valencia's Mediterranean
coast.
Rouse's eighth studio album, El Turista, was released in 2010, a full five years after his
relocation to Spain. Living abroad for half-a-decade had left an indelible mark on the
songwriter, who sang several of the album's tracks in Spanish. Ironically, the bulk of El
Turista was recorded in Nashville with Brad Jones, a move that only strengthened the globe-
trotting appeal of Rouse's songwriting. For the 2011 release Josh Rouse & the Long Vacations,
the singer/songwriter drew from the AM radio sounds he grew up with, as well as present-day
influences from his adopted home of Spain. His next album, 2013's The Happiness Waltz,
jettisoned all the Spanish influences and returned to the sound of his early-2000s albums.
Album Review - from allmusic
After a couple of albums that incorporated the influences of living in Spain (flamenco guitars,
Spanish lyrics,) singer/songwriter Josh Rouse changes course on The Happiness Waltz to make an
album that would have fit in well with those he was making in the early 2000s like 1972 and
Nashville. Weaving together elements of country-rock, soft rock, Americana, and classic
singer/songwriter sounds, Rouse and his longtime producer Brad Jones create a tightly arranged,
beautifully constructed sound that matches Rouse's smoothly crooned vocals perfectly. Acoustic
and electric guitars are nicely layered, keyboards and nice sonic touches (like horn sections)
fill the edges of the songs in with color, and the occasional pedal steel sounds really nice --
the duo know how to make a fine-sounding record. While there aren't any songs that are as hooky
as the best songs from the aforementioned albums, there are a few that stick in the memory like
the bubbly "Julie (Come Out of the Rain)" or the bouncy "A Lot Like Magic." The rest are
pleasant and easygoing, but never really capture the imagination. Rouse sounds like he's
cruising lyrically -- writing a song about writing songs ("Our Love") is usually a sure
indication that someone is getting closes to the bottom of the inspiration barrel. Especially
when the same song talks about putting the kids to bed. The reason it's hard to write him and
the album off is that the song is absolutely beautiful, sounding like 10cc producing Al Green
and creating a fluffy mood that is heartwarmingly sweet. It's a music vs. lyrics disconnect
that happens again and again, and makes the album hard to get a grasp on. A little more passion
in the vocals and songs that are actually about something would have made The Happiness Waltz a
triumphant return, instead it feels like backtracking. It was time for Rouse to end his musical
vacation and go back to his traditional sound; it's just too bad he takes it so easy. That
being said, a mediocre Josh Rouse album is still good for a few listens, especially if you
don't listen to what he's saying and just let the music's sunny warmth fill you up.
Track Listing
1. Julie (Come Out of The Rain)
2. Simple Pleasures
3. It's Good to Have You
4. City People
5. This Movie's Way Too Long
6. Our Love
7. A Lot Like Magic
8. Start A Family
9. The Western Isles
10. Purple And Beige
11. The Ocean
12. The Happiness Waltz
tenth album
never heard of him
I got a Paul Simon/Seals & Crofts feel out of it
most of it too laid back for me
nothing I liked
1.3 from me and a converted 1.8 from allmusic
web site - http://www.joshrouse.com/
from the album - A Lot Like Magic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k3qthQVmqE
released Mar 19th, 2013
Bio - from allmusic
Although born in Nebraska, singer/songwriter Josh Rouse moved to various cities throughout his
childhood and subsequent musical career, driven at first by his father's military career and
later by his desire to take inspiration from different environments. He paid tribute to his
birthplace on his 1998 debut, Dressed Up Like Nebraska, and explored the influence of his
adopted home state, Tennessee, with 2005's Nashville. Rouse later settled in Spain and explored
the country's musical traditions, although his songwriting continued to exhibit the summery,
rootsy appeal of his earlier work.
As a child, Rouse spent time in California, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, South Dakota, Georgia, and
Arizona. Music was one of the few constants in a life filled with new towns, new schools, and
new friends, and he took comfort in bands like the Smiths and the Cure. After receiving several
guitar lessons from his uncle, Rouse began writing songs as an 18-year-old and molded himself
into a skilled composer, eventually scoring a contract with the Rykodisc subsidiary Slow River.
His debut album, Dressed Up Like Nebraska, was released in 1998 to widespread critical acclaim.
He pulled up stakes shortly thereafter and resettled in Nashville, where he was befriended by
Kurt Wagner, frontman of the chamber country group Lambchop. The two began writing together and
issued a collaborative EP, Chester, in the fall of 1999.
Rouse's second solo record, Home, appeared the following spring and was followed by Under Cold
Blue Stars in 2002. He then launched a partnership with producer Brad Jones -- known for his
work with pop artists like Marshall Crenshaw, Matthew Sweet, and Jill Sobule -- and the
resulting album, 1972, was both an homage to the soft rock sounds of Rouse's youth and a
deepening of his sound. Before the release of his next album, however, Rouse's marriage ended
and he moved from Nashville to Spain. Released in 2005, Nashville served as a farewell to both
the city and his marriage; it was also his most fully realized record to date, featuring Brad
Jones' lush production and Rouse's poignant, nostalgic lyrics.
Once in Spain, Rouse settled in the small seaside town of Puerto de Santa Maria and began
writing songs shaped by his new surroundings. Jones eventually flew into town, and the two
captured a relaxed and intimate vibe on 2006's Subtitulo. After the release of two EPs (Bedroom
Classics, Vol. 2 and She's Spanish, I'm American, the latter of which was recorded with Rouse's
girlfriend, artist Paz Suay), Rouse chose to handle his own production for 2007's Country Mouse
City House. He also married Suay, became a father, and relocated to Valencia's Mediterranean
coast.
Rouse's eighth studio album, El Turista, was released in 2010, a full five years after his
relocation to Spain. Living abroad for half-a-decade had left an indelible mark on the
songwriter, who sang several of the album's tracks in Spanish. Ironically, the bulk of El
Turista was recorded in Nashville with Brad Jones, a move that only strengthened the globe-
trotting appeal of Rouse's songwriting. For the 2011 release Josh Rouse & the Long Vacations,
the singer/songwriter drew from the AM radio sounds he grew up with, as well as present-day
influences from his adopted home of Spain. His next album, 2013's The Happiness Waltz,
jettisoned all the Spanish influences and returned to the sound of his early-2000s albums.
Album Review - from allmusic
After a couple of albums that incorporated the influences of living in Spain (flamenco guitars,
Spanish lyrics,) singer/songwriter Josh Rouse changes course on The Happiness Waltz to make an
album that would have fit in well with those he was making in the early 2000s like 1972 and
Nashville. Weaving together elements of country-rock, soft rock, Americana, and classic
singer/songwriter sounds, Rouse and his longtime producer Brad Jones create a tightly arranged,
beautifully constructed sound that matches Rouse's smoothly crooned vocals perfectly. Acoustic
and electric guitars are nicely layered, keyboards and nice sonic touches (like horn sections)
fill the edges of the songs in with color, and the occasional pedal steel sounds really nice --
the duo know how to make a fine-sounding record. While there aren't any songs that are as hooky
as the best songs from the aforementioned albums, there are a few that stick in the memory like
the bubbly "Julie (Come Out of the Rain)" or the bouncy "A Lot Like Magic." The rest are
pleasant and easygoing, but never really capture the imagination. Rouse sounds like he's
cruising lyrically -- writing a song about writing songs ("Our Love") is usually a sure
indication that someone is getting closes to the bottom of the inspiration barrel. Especially
when the same song talks about putting the kids to bed. The reason it's hard to write him and
the album off is that the song is absolutely beautiful, sounding like 10cc producing Al Green
and creating a fluffy mood that is heartwarmingly sweet. It's a music vs. lyrics disconnect
that happens again and again, and makes the album hard to get a grasp on. A little more passion
in the vocals and songs that are actually about something would have made The Happiness Waltz a
triumphant return, instead it feels like backtracking. It was time for Rouse to end his musical
vacation and go back to his traditional sound; it's just too bad he takes it so easy. That
being said, a mediocre Josh Rouse album is still good for a few listens, especially if you
don't listen to what he's saying and just let the music's sunny warmth fill you up.
Track Listing
1. Julie (Come Out of The Rain)
2. Simple Pleasures
3. It's Good to Have You
4. City People
5. This Movie's Way Too Long
6. Our Love
7. A Lot Like Magic
8. Start A Family
9. The Western Isles
10. Purple And Beige
11. The Ocean
12. The Happiness Waltz
