I have been listening to the new Josh Ritter album called "Beast in its Tracks" and it is the most wonderful breakup/build yourself back together album I've heard since Bon Ivers. Seriously, its haunting, heartbreaking, uplifting and absolutely amazing. And furthermore if nobody is going to go with me to see him here in Richmond I will happily be there by myself in the front row with bells on.
This album comes right after his divorce and its written all over the album like this lyric in a song called "New Lover":
"I hope you've got a new lover now, hope you've got somebody who
Can give you what you need like I couldn't seem to do
But if you're sad and you are lonesome and you've got nobody true
I'd be lying if I said that didn't make me happy too"
He also did an amazing interview with Paste Magazine where he talks about the process and emotion that goes into songwriting:
"I feel like there's only certain times in our lives that we get a clear enough stream of emotion and power that we can kind of see the rest of ourselves by the light that it gives off. The rest of the time I feel like we don't need that. It can be more gray or the light can be a little less bright. But in those moments when you can actually see everything, you don't need inspiration-- you have it. You just need to be willing to stick with writing it down in a way that has a little clarity to it. Describe what you are seeing in there, don't describe all things that have been done. Describe the feelings that you have an let them stand. You go into a cave and you hold up the lantern and you look around, you want to describe that--not anything else, I think. You want to have that clarity."
But its the song called "Certain Kind Of Light" that literally had me listening to it on repeat for 20 minutes last night. It just struck a chord with me and I just can't get enough. Press play on the video then read the lyrics below. After its done do yourself a favor and spend the best $10 you will this week by downloading the entire album off of Itunes. You are welcome.
"My new lover, sweet and kind
The kind of lover that one rarely finds
And I'm happy for the first time, in a long time
Came along and opened up the door
And though I know I've been in love before
Oh I feel it, so much more, than the last time
And she only looks like you
In a certain kind of light
When she holds her head just right
Its been winter, for a while
The north winds wail cut like a baby child
It was hard to think or smile
That brings springtime
But it did and now it is
The green green grass
Is come up green and its
Feeling just the way it did
The very first time
And she only looks like you
In a certain kind of light
When she holds her head just right
And anymore, it'd stretch the rhyme
So let me leave this where I started, I'm
Just happy for the first time
In a long time
In a long time"
No comments:
Post a Comment