Josh Rouse - Dressed Up Like Nebraska (10 tracks) +Album Reviews

Dressed Down Like Iowa

Lee Armstrong | Winterville, NC United States | 11/17/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Rouse's CD is a great treat. The opening track "Suburban Sweetheart" is my favorite with its addictive strum of guitar, "Take me back to the suburbubs, rent a house, change our names, if we could only find a purpose, we could only stay the same." Rouse, a native of Nebraska, sings the title track with David Henry's cello giving a Jackson Browne poignance to the arrangement. "Invisible" has a slow meandering feel with the bass and organ dressing up this song sketch as a good mood piece. "Late Night Conversation" opens like a rocker before turning into a Christopher Cross melody. "Flair" is a midtempo track with electric guitar churning like indigestion & the tap of the cymbal, "I can't recall the name, the faces are the same to me, the same you see." Rouse's vocals briefly emerge from the shadows on "The White Trash Period of My Life." Sounding more like a painting than a song title, "A Woman Lost in Serious Problems" is somber and meditative, "Did you ever wonder why I'm so concerned with all the ways; and I think I know the way to ease your mind some." "Lavinia" is a midtempo track with a country jazz feel. The CD concludes with "Reminiscent," a soft ethereal piece. Rouse's music comes across more often like sound sketches rather than fully developed songs. Because the lyrics are distinctive and the voice submerged below the instrumentation, it would have been nice to have a lyric sheet. But there are so many moods and emotions that fly out of Rouse's tracks that DULN is a very interesting set, well work seeking out. Enjoy!"

Quietly brilliant.

Lee Armstrong | 04/15/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I really, really like this record, and like other personal favourites of mine it took a while for me to realise it's greatness. Like a few said below, Josh Rouse's 'Dressed up like Nebraska' gets under your skin with it's gorgeous lilting melodies and thoughtful tales of everyday life/relationships and love lost. While the album is solid throughout, high points include the title track, 'Invisible', the excellent - 'Flair', and 'Lavina'. It's been a year since this was released, and while Josh Rouse isn't exactly a household name - this will be considered a classic down the line."

Needs a few listens

Gerald Keating | Sydney, NSW Australia | 11/27/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album by Rouse is superior to his follow-up 'Home', and as another reviewer noted, Rouse will probably never be a household name, but this album is a classic. Probably because this album is so good, but not so mainstream and sellable, did 'Home' pale a bit. Standout tracks include 'Invisibile', 'Late Night Conversation', 'Flair' and the overlooked 'The White Trash Period of My Life'. A truly incredible debut album."

A lush, heartfelt aural wonder

Gerald Keating | 10/07/1998

(4 out of 5 stars)

"who the hell is Josh Rouse and how did he get inside me like that? Josh's plaintive, sweetly naive tenor is juxtaposed by a rich, sonic backdrop of haunting feedback and wurlitzer that gives an emotional power to his lyrics,yet never cocoons them. Pain and longing are the stuff of these watercolors, and the mesmerizing, subtle arrangments remind me a bit of Chris Whitley's best work on "Living with the Law". But you cannot pigeon-hole Rouse's work very easily. His lyrics are so personal that the listener at times feels almost an eavesdropper. In "The White Trash Period of My Life" the simple refrain, "happy and willing to die for your love.." becomes tremendously moving. David Henry's production--most of the album was recorded in his home studio--is just about perfect. Dressed Up Like Nebraska haunts me, and if you lend him your ears, Josh Rouse will haunt you, too."

A real revelation of an album

Jay M | Dublin, Ireland | 10/14/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"With me being a fan of early 80's to current day electronic music, this seemed an unlikely choice for me. But after hearing a track from Rouse's next album 'Home' and buying it, I had to get this debut release by this talented singer/songwriter..Songs centre around subjects such as love, life and loss. Typical mid-west stuff really. With gentle melodies combining well with Rouse's excellent electric and acoustic guitar work, this album is never rough or too loud. But the songs contain such beautiful hooks within them which catch the listener's attention, to set it apart from the rest of the American 'New West' generation of albums.If an electronic music fan can learn to love this album then there's much more hope for you!"

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