First up in the top 5 is Josh Ritter’s The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter. I only recently came across Josh, and I’ve recently become a bit obsessed: the music ranges from sparse folk to stomping rockers, though the real attraction for me is his lyrics. Sometimes they’re immediate, lusty, and joyful, sometimes a bit more abstract, but there’s always something to dig into.
For example, the lead track “To The Dogs Or Whoever” probably best illustrates the title of the album, and the way he blends poetic imagery with more immediate concerns. In the song, Ritter compares a lover to “Florence, Calamity and Joan of Arc” immediately before saying “I love the way she looks in her underwear”.
Other standout tracks include the ballad “The Temptation of Adam”, which imagines a romance in a nuclear missile silo, and “Rumors” - a great, frustrated breakup song. Here’s a recent complete concert, starting off with the aforementioned “To The Dogs or Whoever”:
For more Josh, also check out The Animal Years, which is even better but came out in 2006!
For example, the lead track “To The Dogs Or Whoever” probably best illustrates the title of the album, and the way he blends poetic imagery with more immediate concerns. In the song, Ritter compares a lover to “Florence, Calamity and Joan of Arc” immediately before saying “I love the way she looks in her underwear”.
Other standout tracks include the ballad “The Temptation of Adam”, which imagines a romance in a nuclear missile silo, and “Rumors” - a great, frustrated breakup song. Here’s a recent complete concert, starting off with the aforementioned “To The Dogs or Whoever”:
For more Josh, also check out The Animal Years, which is even better but came out in 2006!
LATER EDIT: I forgot to mention that Ritter's from Moscow, Idaho - right near where I grew up.
