Search - Josh Ritter :: Animal Years

Sorry Mr. King he is no Dylan but well worth hearing

McBeth | Washington, DC USA | 11/07/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I heard about Josh Ritter in a newspaper article telling us that Stephen King was promoting Ritter's music and calling him the Bob Dylan for today. Josh has been around a while and has proven quite popular in Ireland so I checked him out on YouTube. I liked what I heard and bought this and a previous recording. Both recordings are hampered by rather poor quality reproduction. Some tunes sound as if they were recorded in a basement. So why did I give it four stars? Because it is not the musicality that counts here but rather the poetry which is imaginative and paints a vivid picture. The first tune on this disc, "I Have a Girl in the War" is indeed a Dylan poem for today. It made me stop and realize that this is the first war where we have female soldiers dying in the field of battle. Where husbands and lovers worry and wait for their woman/girl to come home. It is a very moving piece. Good poetry and Josh is blessed with a very good singing voice. Now what he needs is a good production company behind him to produce a better quality product. That said, it is well worth the price--buy it, you'll enjoy!"

It took a while

L. J. Walter | Charlotte, NC | 09/17/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It took a while for me to warm up to this album, but once I did, it stayed on the cd player for months. I had read numerous reviews touting the album, but found Ritter to be is an acquired taste - not all his songs work on the first go round. After a couple of listens, not only do they make sense, they become genius. This is an album not suitable for casual listening. It's deep, varied and memorable."

An instant classic

John Carswell | Franklin, TN | 08/13/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Josh Ritter

The Animal Years; 2006

V2 Records



My Rating: 91/100



What can I say about this that Stephen King hasn't already? THE ANIMAL YEARS proves once and for all that Josh Ritter is a monumental talent of the folk-rock art. I dare you to find a rotten track herein. While GOLDEN AGE OF RADIO and HELLO STARLING both had their moments, you know this is an altogether grander affair from the opening mandolin notes of "Girl in the War." Ritter's themes are transcendent with melodies to match, and Brian Deck's production surrounds his songs in heavenly halos of sound. "Monster Ballads" is a transportingly exquisite driving song, while "Good Man" ranks among the best "let's stay together" songs in the history of pop. Rounding all of it out with the joyfully propulsive ("Wolves", "Lillian, Egypt") and the mystically visceral ("Thin Blue Flame", "Idaho"), this is the type of record that any fan of Dylan, Van Morrison, or Wilco should have in constant rotation. My only complaint is that it's not longer. A classic album of the early 21st century.



TRACKS



1. Girl in the War (5/5)

2. Wolves (5/5)

3. Monster Ballads (5/5)

4. Lillian, Egypt (5/5)

5. Idaho (4/5)

6. In the Dark (5/5)

7. One More Mouth (5/5)

8. Good Man (5/5)

9. Best for the Best (5/5)

10. Thin Blue Flame (5/5)

11. Here at the Right Time (5/5)"