Quick Review (LP): Golden Age of Radio by Josh Ritter

Josh Ritter
Golden Age of Radio
Signature; 2002

My Rating: B (72/100)

Best Tracks: "Come And Find Me", "Me & Jiggs", "You’ve Got The Moon", "Leaving", "The Other Side"

NOTES
– Right off the bat, it’s a giant leap from his debut. "Come And Find Me" is gorgeous.
– These are highly memorable songs, even if the performances sound like Ritter hadn’t quite come into his own as a performer. Despite the great melodies and brilliant lyricism of "Come and Find Me" and "Leaving", the record as a whole feels a bit under-ripe.
– "Drive Away" is overlooked, but it’s got a nice melancholy feel.
– It’s easy to miss this, but the record is pretty well crafted in terms of theme. This is a road record, a starry-eyed vagabond dream.
– The AMG review gets it right.
– A sublime live recording of "Golden Age of Radio" exists (you can get it on the Hello Starling deluxe edition), but I’m not a big fan of the studio version here.
– DELUXE EDITION HIGHLIGHTS: Ritter re-recorded the entire album in 2008 with only his voice and an acoustic guitar. Given the fact that he had 8 years of additional experience under his belt at that point, most of the performances are far better. He sings in a higher key, and it sounds like he’s lived in these songs and that he has grown with them. "Golden Age of Radio" in particular is revelatory. "Don’t Wake Juniper" is a good b-side. The remixes of "The Other Side" and "Come And Fine Me" are both interesting.

see my other Josh Ritter reviews

ATTRIBUTES
Cohesion (4.5/5)
Consequence (3.5/5)
Consistency (3.5/5)
Concept (4.5/5)
Songs (4.5/5)