Rouse is relocated by romance to Stockholm, pining for home triggered by Vince Guaraldi and Nat King Cole tunes. The album’s best, and longest track, the closing ‘Christmas Songs’ could have fallen from any of his previous LPs. A desire for connection and together-ness weaves through Rouse’s Yuletide tales. ‘Letters In The Mailbox’ muses on transatlantic loneliness and ‘Heartache Holiday’ finds the protagonist returning presents post-break-up to a be-bop chorus. When things do occasionally veer close to saccharine, reality kicks in.
Jaunty opener ‘Mediterranean Xmas’ has him “making snow angels in the sand” while ‘Sleigh Brother Bill’ reminisces on Rouse’s Nebraska childhood where broken bones from icy tree collisions couldn’t spoil the fun, accompanied by galloping rhythm and surf guitar. Rouse spent 15 years living between Spain and Nashville and this continent-hopping sees The Holiday Sounds… shift its Christmas motifs from place to place. Lovely jazz inflections colour the album, not least on ‘Lights of Town’ which shadows the famous rolling bassline of Nina Simone’s ‘My Baby Just Cares For Me’ with woody piano and brushed drums. We’d expect nothing less from a singer who, over 13 albums, has made small-town storytelling and melodic warmth his calling card. Crisp as winter snow but cosy as a chestnut fire, it’s a million miles from morose indie sleigh bell soul-dredging. These nine original songs (there are some covers on the extended version) were penned over the past decade by Rouse who was inspired to release them by touring partner Nick Lowe, following Lowe’s stellar Quality Street collection.ĭespite its slow gestation, the record was made in just three days in Nashville with a group of Rouse regulars and has the lived-in looseness of a well-honed band. The fact it’s as perky and filler-free as Josh Rouse’s holiday debut is an added bonus. Josh Rouse - The Holiday Sounds of Josh Rouse. Put this on after your Christmas lunch – as a coping mechanism, one that will still appease whatever members of your squad demand some sort of Xmas music.Īnd then put it on for yourself on Boxing Day alongside whatever other great Rouse album you care to choose.If, like me, you crave mince pies as soon as summer finishes, the gift of a Christmas album at the start of November is balm to the autumn soul. Find the lyrics for Mediterranean X-Mas by Josh Rouse on Rockol. Which is about as Josh Rouse as you can get – he’s such a student, so aware, so good. Nat King Cole gets a name check in a song Rouse has written called Christmas Songs. In fact, chances are you could play it on any other day and apart from a few nods to St Nick you’d barely notice it as “Christmas” music – just more good Josh Rouse Music. So it’s no surprise to have him nailing this latest project a set of brand new Christmas songsthat won’t make you cringe or curl up fetal.
He’s been making consistently great music across the last two decades, dipping in and out of styles, taking on assignments – making 70s-referencing soft-rock one minute, urgent new power-pop the next. If you ever needed to pick a songwriter to get the job done – to always get the job done – like Neil Finn for example, high on the list would have to be Josh Rouse.