The Holiday Sounds Of Josh Rouse
Yep Roc, 2019
9/10
Listen to The Holiday Sounds Of Josh Rouse
A holiday record from a guy who has never formally dabbled in the genre before, Josh Rouse delivers an album that’s certainly festive, but not in the traditional sense, as he (thankfully) avoids all the triteness we associate with music this time of the year.
“Mediterranean X-Mas” starts the listen lively and smooth with warm melodies and funk nods as the tune yields island grooves, and “Red Suit” follows with a rich setting of folk-pop ideas.
Elsewhere, “Easy Man” offers light melodies with Rouse’s strong pipes at the helm, while “Sleigh Brother Bill” flows with playful percussion in the frisky atmosphere.
Near the end, “Letters In The Mailbox” brings the listen into lounge territory with a tint of melancholy, and “Heartbreak Holidays” takes nods to earlier decades with its retro melodies. “Christmas Songs” ends the listen one a high note with keys, rhythm and a glorious universal appeal that’s as dreamy as it is memorable.
An artist who has never sat still in one genre too long in his lengthy, esteemed career, this installment of Rouse’s work is absolutely varied, as traces of his midwestern roots and time in Spain are certainly evident.
If you only buy one holiday album, I’d make it this one.
Travels well with: Andrew Combs- Ideal Man; Rogue Wave- Nightingale Floors