At times it looked as if Josh Rouse could become one of the great US songwriters of his generation with his melancholic soft rock and folk pop songs. That was about 20 years ago, with three outstanding albums in a row: "Under Cold Blue Stars" (2002), "1972" (2003) and "Nashville" (2005).
Then his marriage broke up, he fell in love again with a Spaniard - and although Rouse was heartily begrudge the family happiness that soon followed with his wife and children, his songs from then on mostly lacked drama and depth. Had life just become too easy for an ambitious song poet in sunny southern Europe?
This possible finding has not changed to this day - Rouse's new record "Going Places" is also full of beautifully produced songs ("Hollow Moon", "The Lonely Postman"), but again not a great success. Some pieces rush past the ear in their friendly harmlessness, this fine guitarist and singer rarely seems to really challenge himself. The sad "Indian Summer" is more of an exception.
More guitars again
Rouse has written the ten tracks since 2020 during the pandemic - "inspired by the desire to perform live at a time when that was practically impossible," as his label Yep Roc reports. After the keyboard-heavy, cool predecessor "Love In The Modern Age" (2018) - a change of course that many fans didn't like - "Going Places" has become a guitar album again. It pleases with a certain live feeling and an earthy US southern states sound that replaces a recently all too predictable Spanish foundation.
There's nothing wrong with that, everything sounds tasteful and rock-solid - and yet, as a listener to his main works, which are now quite a long time ago, one thinks that Josh Rouse could achieve more. But he only has 25 years in the pop business behind him and probably just as long ahead of him. And there are definitely examples that singer-songwriters don't necessarily have to be in a desolate mood to create great song art.
