On El TuristaВ (2010) he even experimented with writing and singing some songs in Spanish. SubtituloВ (2006) contained the international indie folk hit 'Quiet Town'. The follow up, NashvilleВ (2005) continued the hot streak and expanded his audience further.ДЄfter relocating to Valencia, Spain with his wife Paz, Rouse has released a steady stream of high quality songs and albums.

Noting that heвЂ™d earned a reputation for melancholy, he says, with a laugh, вЂњI figured this is my career, I might as well try to enjoy it.вЂќ While the Seventies are often identified with singer-songwriters, Rouse was primarily attracted to the warmer sound of albums back then, as well as the more communal feel of the soul music of that time. But at the end of the day, no matter how eclectic I try to make it, itвЂ™s my voice and melodic sensibility that tie things together.вЂќДЇor his breakthrough album, 1972В (2003), which happens to be the year he was born, Rouse decided to cheer up a bit. вЂњI always became fascinated by a different style of music. вЂњEvery time IвЂ™ve made a record, IвЂ™ve tried to make it different from the last one,вЂќ says Rouse.

The followup- Home (2000)-yielded the song вЂњDirectionsвЂќ which Cameron Crowe used in his film Vanilla Sky. The albumвЂ™s acclaim led to tours with Aimee Mann, Mark Etzel and the late Vic Chestnut. Josh Rouse was born in Nebraska, and following an itinerant upbringing he eventually landed in Nashville where he recorded his debut Dressed Like NebraskaВ (1998). They resolve without seeming overly tidy or pat. The verses draw you in with telling detail, both musical and thematic, and the choruses lift and deliver. Without pandering, they seek to satisfy both your ear and your understanding. They are clear-eyed, empathetic and penetrating. His songs present themselves to you with an open heart, an innate intelligence and an absolute lack of pretension. If you only buy one holiday album, IвЂ™d make it this one.You donвЂ™t have to work hard to enjoy RouseвЂ™s music. вЂњChristmas SongsвЂќ ends the listen one a high note with keys, rhythm and a glorious universal appeal thatвЂ™s as dreamy as it is memorable.ДЄn artist who has never sat still in one genre too long in his lengthy, esteemed career, this installment of RouseвЂ™s work is absolutely varied, as traces of his midwestern roots and time in Spain are certainly evident. Near the end, вЂњLetters In The MailboxвЂќ brings the listen into lounge territory with a tint of melancholy, and вЂњHeartbreak HolidaysвЂќ takes nods to earlier decades with its retro melodies. вЂњMediterranean X-MasвЂќ starts the listen lively and smooth with warm melodies and funk nods as the tune yields island grooves, and вЂњRed SuitвЂќ follows with a rich setting of folk-pop ideas.Д®lsewhere, вЂњEasy ManвЂќ offers light melodies with RouseвЂ™s strong pipes at the helm, while вЂњSleigh Brother BillвЂќ flows with playful percussion in the frisky atmosphere. Listen to The Holiday Sounds Of Josh RouseДЄ holiday record from a guy who has never formally dabbled in the genre before, Josh Rouse delivers an album thatвЂ™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.

The holiday sounds of josh rouse