Review Think what Kurt Wagner would sound like if he spent less time in off-highway dustbowl taprooms and got a sun tan on the beach, and you're not far off the sound of Josh Rouse, a Nebraska born songwriter whose startling work rate means that, less than ten years into his career, we're presented with a 'Best Of' that comprises a giddy 32 tracks stretching from his debut EP in 1999 through to 2005. It's a miasma of polished and sophisticated wheezing guitars and honey drenched vocals suited to the kind of day where you feel like wading into the California surf, but don't much fancy getting your Dolce & Gabana swim shorts wet. Tracks ease into each other like old friends getting slowly sozzled on the veranda with Rouse's voice, a smooth to the point of catatonic creation- purring through tongue in cheek white boy soul groove on Comeback (Light Therapy) and alt-country charisma packs a memorable punch on It's The Nighttime. At times the squeaky clean sound of the privileged cocktail hour life (you can almost hear the martini glasses being clinked on tracks like Late Night Conversation) can get a little much. To listen to this on a winter's day in Britain can bring about elements of jealousy that might leave you itching to switch to a Stiff Little Fingers single. Rouse is an accomplished songwriter however and, despite the second disc clearly being a matter for obsessive's only (Christmas With Jesus anyone?), there's still plenty here to suggest that here is a songwriter whose talents deserve a wider audience. --Robert Crossan Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window Product Description Nebraska-born singer/songwriter Josh Rouse blends American roots music, contemporary folk, alt-pop, and indie rock into a sound that, refreshingly, defies easy categorization. With evocative songwriting, unvarnished emotion, an eloquent sense of longing and warm-hearted authenticity, Rouse has steadily won critical raves and built a devoted following ever since his 98 debut album DRESSED UP LIKE NEBRASKA was released on Rykodisc sybsidiary Slow River and Rykodisc releases on Disc 1 and on Disc 2, the ultra-rare out-of-print EP, BEDROOM CLASSICS VOL 1, in it's entirety along with seven previously unissued gems.