Awarding Josh Ritter the title of "the next Bob Dylan" seems audacious, but repeated listens to The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter proves it a worthy statement to make. The opening track, "To the Dogs or Whoever," exhibits Dylan-esque vocals and rhythm, reminding me of '65 when Dylan tried to innovate folk music by plugging in. Ritter, too, attempts to elevate the genre. Does he succeed? The purists and anti-folk enthusiasts might argue Ritter's bastardizing the whole thing, but as Dylan said, "the times they are a-changin," and Josh Ritter shows that maybe it's for the better.
Using traditional folk as a point of departure he creates lush soundscapes, embracing a cornucopia of styles including gasp - pop. The end result: songs with the most unique attributes. The lyrics, including crushing on women in world history, are too dense to stick in your head, but the melodies are catchier than a television jingle, which may lead to compulsive humming. And the rhythm? It'll get even the most devout Christian dancing.
Sure, many will be turned off by polished production and major label distribution, but isn't that what Dylan did?
