Josh RouseEl Turista
Yep Roc Records [2010]
Fire Note Says: Please come home!
Album Review:
I wish I could embrace the new Josh Rouse tag of "Midwestern guy doing Brazilian songs in Spanish", but after being entranced right from his first record Dressed Up Like Nebraska [1998], his expanding musical flavors are a harder sell for me. It is not that El Turista totally lacks feeling because that is not true but it does seem to lack direction. Sure the record is a combo of originals and covers sung in English and Spanish, that melds folk styles of Cuba, Brazil, Spain, Venezuela and beyond, but ultimately seems to dabble with too many ideas and will have the listener not returning for a repeat performance. To be fair, Josh Rouse now lives in Spain and still has a very likable voice, which alone carries El Turista through its ups and downs. I can see fans being completely split on this album but I guarantee if polled they all would say a return to his original style would be welcomed!
Key Tracks: "Sweet Elaine", "I Will Live On Islands", "Cotton Eye Joe"
Bands With Similar Fire:
Ry Cooder
Bola de Nieve
Paul Simon
Official Josh Rouse Website
Josh Rouse MySpace
Josh Rouse Facebook
Yep Roc Records
-Reviewed by Robyn Gatsby
1 comments:
I've also followed Josh since his Dressed Up... days, and I really like the new sound he's playing. In fact, I honestly wouldn't swap it for another Dressed Up... True, I'm already a keen fan of "world music" but I don't really think that makes too much of a difference. He's a travelling songwriter. He moves around a bit and every couple of years he sends a musical postcard. Wouldn't it be a sad world if he felt doomed to re-release the same angst ridden Americana that he wrote tweleve years ago, just to keep his old fans happy - despite the fact that he's now a married father living in Spain? - Stu
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