183) Josh Ritter - So Runs The World Away

I know the name, nothing more. I had a read online and found out he studied in Edinburgh, hope he had nights through in Glasgow, imagine I’d have met him, I’d have bored his arse off about music probably put him off pursuing a career in it.

Ritter has so far released ten albums and So Runs the World Away was his sixth back in 2010.

This is an album of stories set to beautiful music. Second song Change of Time comes to life with sweeping drums and guitars as Ritter delivers a lovely vocal and an effective chorus. The Curse is a piano dominated story, very clever, he would have seen through me in a second. With this and the song Folk Bloodbath you can see how Ritter has also branched out to novels with the story in the songs as important as the music, very clever, have I said that.

Lark is light and pleasant, but we have the contrast with Rattling Locks which is all drums and percussion and is certainly a change in style, Ritter speaks throughout nearly all the track, female backing vocals and a shimmering guitar enhance.

Lantern, the start reminds me of Springsteen for some reason, again he shows he is more than just a folk artist, The Remnant is a bit more down and dirtier and, you can’t beat people hitting things.

Another New World has a beauty to the playing and the singing as Ritter takes us on another journey, I may have mentioned he is clearly very clever.

This is another record I would never have heard, and for that I would have missed out. Not my normal thing but I would go there again.

6.75/10

GIVE IT A STREAM: Rattling Locks