Thanks to Raving Davey

[ForeverAutumn]

Thanks to Davey for raving about Josh Ritter to the point where I could no longer ignore him. I picked up six new CDs yesterday and Animal Years was one of them. It was the second disk that I spun and I haven't been able to stop playing it to get to the rest of the disks. I can see that this is going to be a favourite. This is a lovely album in that alternative singer/songwriter vane that I've come to love so much.

Saying that Monster Ballads is the best song that I've heard this year doesn't do it justice since we're only six weeks in. I'll say that it's one of the best I've heard in the last year. If we had a Wednesday SOTD thread, this would be my song.

I'll definately be collecting more of Josh's music. Thanks Davey!

Question: I'm placing an order with Amazon later today. Do I order Hello Starling or Golden Age of Radio?

[tentoze]

Hello Starling.

[Bernd]

Hello Starling.

Seconded.

[Davey]

Not sure it actually qualified as raving, but cool you like it so far. That record does have some unusual qualities that makes it more endearing to me than his others, notably Brian Deck at the production desk and all around the studio, helping to make and also flesh out the sound. He becomes almost a collaborator with many of the artists he records. Califone, Iron & Wine, Ugly Casanova, Holopaw, Modest Mouse, Fruit Bats, and the rest. Like others, I do like that Hello Starling which was my intro, but never heard the earlier one. That said, there are a lot of other records way more importatnt to me than Hello Starling, like most on the Brian Deck list above. Don't know if any of it passed your way yet, but Sloshy's big fave from last year, which has become a big fave of mine as well, hits some of that same spots, and also has Brian Deck at the controls. Iron & Wine The Shepherd's Dog. Really nice CD. But I do love that fractured mix of pop and folk like on those great Califone and Red Red Meat records that Deck was such a big part of, including the last one Roots and Crowns, but Josh Ritter isn't quite as fractured as them or me

[bobsticks]

Interesting. I don't claim to be a Deck discographer but I would say that this is one of my least favorite of his works from the production standpoint. I liken the Ritter disc with the last Feist release in that I liked the material and the performance but found the production a bit lackluster. Different strokes for different folks, eh.

What I won't argue with are the recommendations of The Shepherd's Dog and Roots and Crowns, of which I would suggest the former as a possible next purchase. I'd be surprised if that last The National album The Boxer didn't play well to your ears FA. The CAN remixes are fun in that same "fractured" and dissonant way...and speaking of that...

NP:

[Davey]

Interesting. I don't claim to be a Deck discographer but I would say that this is one of my least favorite of his works from the production standpoint. I liken the Ritter disc with the last Feist release in that I liked the material and the performance but found the production a bit lackluster. Different strokes for different folks, eh.

From Josh Ritter to Can. You're alright bobsticks! But yea, different strokes. Deck's work is kind of subtle on this one, there aren't really any gizmos or weird effects, he really just tries to open up the spaces and give the music some room. I think it's one of his better jobs, especially compared to Ritter's latest. Read a nice interview awhile back at the time of Animal Years, just dug it up, similar to what I'd expect him to say about it from listening ...

First things first, I am sure a lot people are familiar with Brian Deck of Red Red Meat and his work with Modest Mouse and Iron Wine. How was it working with Deck on your latest album?

Josh Ritter: Man, it was such a treat. He has the type of ability to push you in the right direction without telling you what to do or how to do it. He would challenge us and make us feel like explorers, you know? And that's a rare talent to have anymore, especially when I was trying to pick a producer. It kept feeling like I was asking them questions, applying for a job with them. When they were the ones who would be working with my music and songs. Deck came in and was like, "These are some weird songs. Let's give it a shot." He just managed to open the album up to a whole nother world.