"Once again Josh Rouse delivers a stellar, personal, and melodic album. Every song here is a gem and stylistically it doesn't veer too far from Subtitulo. If you liked that CD or for that matter any of his prior CDs, you won't be dissapointed in Country Mouse City House."
Dangerous
Lee Armstrong | Winterville, NC United States | 09/13/2008
(3 out of 5 stars)
""Country Mouse City House" has been in my collection for awhile now. Compared to Nashville or 1972, there is no track that jumps out at me. Recorded in Spain, this material isn't bad. Some of it is very good, but it doesn't stick in my head. "London Bridges" floats with a pretty melody and an unusual lyric, "Really should stay off that corner, someday someone will get killed, they put up a sign to warn you it's dangerous." "Hollywood Bass Player" & "Nice to Fit In" are nice tracks. On "Italian Dry Ice," Rouse seems to be competing with Leonard Cohen for a "Limited Vocal Range" award. "Domesticated Lovers" seems faceless. Overall, Rouse's average music is still worth listening to. However, there's nothing essential here in my humble opinion! Enjoy!"
Another Great One
Bryan Rosengarten | Seminole, FL | 01/14/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I've been following Josh Rouse's career since the release of Dressed Up Like Nebraska. Every album has been solid and this one is too. With great melodies and fantastic lyrics, JR has easily become one of my modern day favorite songwriters."
Same Old Josh Rouse
S. Finefrock | Raleigh, NC | 10/04/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"It's getting pretty predictable, another year, another good album from Josh Rouse. Geez, we are kind of taking this guy for granted by now, aren't we? Well, maybe not that many people are, as Rouse remains a pretty obscure artist to most, but his fans might be judging some of the other posts here. That's a shame, as he he one of the best (relatively) young songwriters currently working.
CITY HOUSE, COUNTRY MOUSE continues in the direction of the his last couple releases by marrying sunny 70's vibe pop with knowing and occasionally dark lyrics. Since he moved to Spain a couple years ago, Rouse's music has gotten much lighter, but he still has the knack for writing a great song. The CD is filled with top notch tracks like HOLLYWOOD BASS PLAYER, ITALIAN DRY ICE and NICE TO FIT IN. Some may long for the heavier tone of Rouse's earlier albums like UNDER COLD BLUE SKIES or DRESSED UP LIKE NEBRASKA, but his sunnier outlook on life still produces great songs. I would not rate this as his best work, but it's still a work of high quality."