一聽音樂網

這位在18歲時因為聽到Bob Dylan的《Nashville Skyline》而將志向從救人的神經外科醫師轉為淑世的民謠詩人的創作歌手，以他在大學時代主修的美國文化研究作為養分，以豐富的文學涵養作為沃土，培育出一首首精準素描當前社會現象的杰作。在酒吧駐唱時期被愛爾蘭團體The Frames發掘，進而被該團引介給愛爾蘭聽眾的Josh，在愛爾蘭建立起堅強的歌迷基礎后，經過兩張獨立發行的專輯以及三年來馬不停蹄的巡回演出，Josh以這張首度在國際唱片公司旗下發行的《Animal Years》讓全球歌迷─以及他在美國的同胞們見識到他在安靜沉穩中自然輻射出的懾人光芒/ While his name might not be on the tip of everyone's tongue in his homeland, folk-leaning singer/songwriter Josh Ritter has benefited from numerous positive reviews and a loyal fan base. Born in Idaho, Ritter bought his first guitar after hearing the Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash classic "Girl From the North Country." While attending college in Oberlin, OH, Ritter got his first listen to Leonard Cohen and Gillian Welch. He fell in love with the songs instantly and dropped his neuroscience major in favor of the pursuit of music. With classic folk venues like Club Passim, Boston was the place Ritter chose to follow his dream. He recorded and released self-titled debut in 1999, but it was 2002's Golden Age of Radio that got him noticed. Selling copies on his own funded touring, which funded more albums and so on. Signature Sounds Recordings soon picked the album up, gave it exposure on a national level, and the four- and five-star reviews started rolling in. The HBO series Six Feet Under grabbed a track from the album for their end credits, while Ritter received an offer to open for the Frames on a tour of Ireland. Soon his single "Me & Jiggs" was in the Irish Top 40, a headlining tour of the country was sold out, and a tribute band named Cork was playing nothing but Ritter material in numerous Irish pubs. Back home the following was growing with sold-out shows in New York City and Boston, while an invitation to the Sundance Film Festival began 2003 on a high note. It took 14 February days in rural France to record his third album, and much of the equipment used for the session was Curtis Mayfield's old gear. The result, Hello Starling, was released in September the same year. Animal Years, his much anticipated follow-up, arrived in March 2006, with Historical Conquest and the live CD/DVD In the Dark: Live at Vicar Street arriving in 2007.