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Overview
The Embers of Time?is one of the finest collections in a celebrated career that s earned Josh Rouse plaudits everywhere from the NY Times to NPR. Hailed for his sharp wit by?Rolling Stone?and as a talent to outrank Ryan Adams or Conor Oberst byUncut Rouse has long since solidified his status as a songwriter of the highest caliber over his ten preceding studio releases but as he navigated the unfamiliar terrain of his forties while writing?The Embers of Time he found himself facing difficult questions. Album opener Some Days I m Golden All Night finds comfort in accepting that there are no easy answers. The album s laidback countrypolitan vibe - captured in part in Rouse s studio in Valencia and in part in his former American home base of Nashville with producer Brad Jones - continues on Too Many Things On My Mind which was inspired by economist E.F. Schumacher s book?Small Is Beautiful. Simplification is a recurring theme on the album as the pedal steel and harmonica drenched New Young finds Rouse making plans to move out to the country and Crystal Falls is propelled by uncomplicated rhythm from an unexpected source. I didn t want the record to come off as overly serious so it was important to me that songs like this have a sense of humor to them. That sense of humor sustains Rouse as he faces down some of life s biggest questions on this record with grace and humility. Am I a hunter or a fox? he sings on Pheasant Feather. The Embers Of Time suggests that Rouse has discovered he may never know the answer and that s just fine.
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