I’m not entirely sure why, but the new record from the unheralded king of folk-rock Josh Ritter is vaguely disappointing. The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter is by no means a bad album – it’s probably one of the 15 or 20 best records of the whole year – it’s just that for the most part it inspires respect more than love. I appreciate the artistry, the tone, and the lyrical allusions but they rarely burrow deep.
Case in point: tracks 3 and 4. “Right Moves” is a loping love song full of quality, not to mention a beautiful horn accompaniment. Still, there’s something missing. It promises so much, but never quite follows through. I don’t just want beauty, I also want magic, I want recklessness, I want wild abandon.
On the other side of the equation “The Last Temptation of Adam,” just a shade too stark for its own good. Instead of accentuating a delightful little post-apocalyptic love story, the single violin the darts in and out leaves you lamenting that the rest of the band didn’t also survive the war.
The same general complaint holds true on a number of other songs. “Open Doors” features a jaunty beat that, without anything else to enliven it, overstays its welcome. “Rumors” tries to imply funkiness rather than simply being actually funky, and “Real Long Distance” is more than a little embarrassing in its desperate attempt to rock.
That said, “Real Long Distance” is the only real clunker on the record. The others may lack a certain je nais se qua that could turn them into standouts, but each has something significant to contribute.
To the Dogs or Whoever – Josh Ritter
And for at least one track, there can be no complaints. The opener “To the Dogs or Whoever” is a raucous, clattering gallop through America’s iconography and heroes, and through our own broken hearts. Name-checking everyone from Calamity Jane to Casey at the Bat, he never gives you a chance to catch your breath. It’s the kind of song that could only be written on a piano – the guitar is a versatile instrument but it could never crash like a piano can. And that moment about 40 seconds in when the hi-fi bursts out is one of my favorite moments of music this year.
There are more than a few other gems waiting to be uncovered. “Wait for Love” and “Still Beating” are both beautiful and touching. “Next to Last Romantic” re-creates some of the magic of the opening track. And “Empty Hearts” breaks no new ground, but is about as nice a folk-pop song as you’re likely to hear.
All in all, perhaps its a testament to Ritter’s songwriting ability that even on a record that goes in directions I could do without, he manages to bring more than enough to the table to leave it comfortably among my favorites for the year.