The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter

iTunes Review

Perhaps in response to the somber tones of 2006’s mostly acoustic collection Animal Years and perhaps because he’s been touring for so long, Idaho-born singer-songwriter Josh Ritter turns up the electricity for 2007’s The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter. There’s a pop-friendly streak of sunshine emitting from these tracks where previously Ritter might have let clouds roll in. The album opener, “To the Dogs or Whoever,” begins with Ritter shooting his mouth off with biblical references and a generally manic state of mind. “Right Moves” shuffles with a horn-backed celebratory vibe. “Rumors“ features an unexpected funk to its piano groove. And “Next to the Last Romantic” steps up to a Johnny Cash railroad chug. Not that Ritter’s lost his penchant for the reflective, graceful move. “The Temptation of Adam” quietly embraces the cello and acoustic guitar schematic that’s been many songwriters’ bread n’ butter while the ghostly choir of “Wait for Love” (here in two versions) sounds as if it’s being overheard from the next room. Ritter’s one of the few emerging songwriters successfully finding new ways to explore the old territory.