The result is a holiday record built for the long haul, a wholesome, whip smart collection that’s guaranteed to stay with you well after the snow has melted and all the decorations have come down. The arrangements are eclectic and intoxicating, drawing equal influence from Rouse’s Midwestern childhood and his decade-and-a-half spent living in Spain, and the performances here are sparkling and fizzy to match, blending jazz sophistication with rootsy sincerity and sly crooner charm. Nick in a suit and sunglasses there’s a lonely ex-pat waiting by the mailbox for cards that never seem to come.
For every playful portrait of giddy lovers on New Year’s Eve, there’s a stranded traveler spending Christmas alone for every slick St. Written off-and-on over the course of the last ten years, the record is joyful and festive of course, but, much like the holiday season itself, it’s also laced with an undercurrent of longing and melancholy. It makes sense, then, that The Holiday Sounds of Josh Rouse isn’t your typical yuletide collection.
“Growing up, I remember hearing Vince Guaraldi and Bing Crosby and all the staples everybody listens to each winter, but I never collected Christmas music or anything like that.” “I was never a holiday record kind of guy,” he laughs.
#JOSH ROUSE ALBUMS PROFESSIONAL#
Known for crafting songs that are introspective and personal, yet also universally relatable, Rouse weaves a familiar lament that examines how our professional lives invariably undermine our personal commitments in “Businessman,” singing with measured resignation, “I wanna be with you, baby / But you know that I can’t / I’m a businessman / I’m working hard for you, baby / In New York and Japan / I’m a businessman.” On a more redemptive note, the endearing album closer “There Was A Time” unfurls as a wistful, reflective assessment of how life changes when one finds true love and by extension, the satisfaction and comfort that was previously elusive or ephemeral.Josh Rouse never planned on making a holiday record.
Equally intriguing is the titular “Love In The Modern Age,” a multi-layered, gorgeously constructed composition propelled by Rouse’s spoken-word musings that summon Cohen’s world-weary wisdom. Plentiful drum machine-blessed percussion awash with synth and organ-heavy flourishes coalesce with subtle, vocoder-like vocal manipulations and Rouse’s soothing tones, producing a track that couldn’t be easier on the ears. But thanks to his proven penchant for marrying memorable melodies to accessible narratives, the album serves more as an expansion of his still-evolving recorded repertoire, rather than a disruption to his artistic arc.Īs we’ve come to expect with Rouse’s albums, highlights are in no short supply, beginning here with the soaring opening song “Salton Sea,” which sets the stage for the nuanced soundscapes that appear throughout.
Love In The Modern Age is indeed a more experimental departure for Rouse, relative to his discography to date. Lyrically, Rouse is as poised and as poignant as he’s ever been, taking a few inspirational cues from pop’s late great poet laureate, Leonard Cohen. Thankfully, his decision to ultimately embrace this creative adventure pays plenty of dividends for his loyal legion of listeners.ĭespite the title’s nod to contemporary times, the prevailing sonic framework for the nine-song strong affair is actually largely indebted to a musical movement that surfaced decades ago, namely the synth-pop aesthetic that came to prominence as the 1980s progressed. “This project,” of course, is his latest long player Love In The Modern Age, his twelfth studio album in twenty years, dating back to his debut effort Dressed Up Like Nebraska (1998). “It took me about a year to decide if I wanted to move forward with this project or not, as it is quite a sonic departure,” Josh Rouse confided during my recent interview with the accomplished singer-songwriter.
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