Josh Rouse | The Embers Of Time | CD

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" by Uncut, 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 drenche