Josh Ritter – Gathering

Critically acclaimed singer-songwriter Josh Ritter has just released his latest album Gathering, showing immense growth in a genre that has become somewhat stagnant in recent years.

By Jane Howkins

We’ve all become a little sick of singer-songwriter’s of late, however Ritter’s music is different to the stuff you normally hear blaring out of Radio One on a Friday morning, with a mix of styles combining with some of the most heartfelt songs we’ve heard in the last year or so. There’s a big country influence present, and the first half of the album definitely seems to sway that way, but halfway through other elements seem to appear, with melancholy folk and even a little bit of psychedelic becoming present along the way. The mood of Gathering also changes along the way, from happy to sad, to incredibly dark, and then back up again. There seems to be a lot going on in Ritter’s mind, and we like it.

This is actually his 9th album in 18 years, and for those uninitiated in Ritter’s genius, it seems to be the culmination of his life throughout all those years, with the end result being an album that peels the singer-songwriter’s heart away, tearing chunks out and piecing them back together in song. It really makes for a cohesive record, and whilst it’s one that we recommend listeners play through in order a few times before really making a decision, it’s also one that grows and grows upon you. Gathering shows a true singer-songwriter, and one that should be an example to all those others that use such a name to describe themselves.

Gathering by Josh Ritter is out now.