Strummer Of Discontent
After years of thankless toil, Josh Ritter finally had the world at his feet. And then, just as he should have been at his happiest, he suffered a sudden crisis of confidence. Sick of the sound of his own voice, the Idaho bard felt trapped in an artistic prison he himself had devised. His struggle for freedom is chronicled on his wrenching new album, perhaps the finest of his career. Hot Press meets him in New York to discuss the long road to redemption.
Peter Murphy, 05 May 2010
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Peter Murphy
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When his marriage ended suddenly, Josh Ritter lost his way. He started drinking and wandering the streets. The only way to arrest the downward spiral was to pour his pain into his songs. The result is his most torrid album to date. He talks about the genesis of The Beast In Its Tracks and how he managed to banish the despair and build a new life...
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The holy and austere surroundings only rendered that night's performance that much more powerful. It was certainly a lightning bolt moment for this listener, who hitherto always found himself torn between liking Mr Ritter and being exasperated at the transparency of his influences (Bruce, Leonard, Nick Drake, Townes Van Zandt).
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