Josh Rouse
The Smooth Sounds of
(Ryko)
Josh Rouse has been more or less an ignored talent who has put out a solid collection of acoustic roots pop. With 1972, he walked into the league of Elliot Smith, sculpting a folk-pop masterpiece. The Smooth Sounds of is a compilation of rarities and demos that comes with an exquisite live DVD from the 1972 tour. Unlike Smith, Rouse isn’t plagued by depression and self-loathing. Yet Josh Rouse proves himself to be one of the finest troubadours around.
—Trevor MacLaren