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The Curse of John Ritter3 Out Of 5 Stars
There are fans of literary type singer songwriters. Trouble is, they are few and far between, and tend to work a vociferous cult that falls in love with what you;re creating, while the rest of the world sits by in sonic indifference. Josh Ritter is that kind of guy. Rivaling Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen for intricate wordplay and Conor Oberst (of Bright Eyes) for slavishly devoted fans, all while giving his soft spoken voice room to trip and trickle around his songs.
His 2010 CD "So Runs The World Away" maintains that superb quality. Be it the travels of the ageless Pharaoh aboard a cruise to America ("The Curse") or the sly humor of the distorted "The Remnant," Ritter juggles folk idioms like few others save for Iron and Wine and Bright Eyes. Nowhere is this more in evidence than "Folk Bloodbath," which pulls Stagger Lee, Louis Collins, Delia and Judge Hanging Billy Lyons into one scenario where, ultimately, the pursuit of Delia brings them together. And, ultimately, "the angels lay them away." For those who wonder why I am okay with a Dylan comparison in Ritter's, case, download "So Runs The World Away" and start there.
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