Spectral Lines is the tenth album for the renowned singer, songwriter, musician, artist, and best-selling author Josh Ritter and it stands well apart from any of his previous works. One of the first impressions is the ethereal, atmospheric sonics, then perhaps the use of space exploration as a metaphor for disconnectedness and connection. The album is a dedication to his mother and has Ritter posing rhetorical questions on universal subjects such as love, devotion, empathy, and self-identity. Like other artists with their first effort since the pandemic (The Wood Brothers come to mind), Ritter feels the importance of sharing common experiences and makes a salient statement on our need to be with others, and not take on a lonely existence.
Produced by Ritter’s longtime collaborator Sam Kassirer (Lake Street Dive, Langhorne Slim), his Royal City Band goes far beyond typical Americana instrumentation with these players. In addition to Ritter (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar) and Kassirer (piano, organ, mellotron, synthesizers, drums), the album features Jocie Adams (clarinet, synthesizers, background vocals), Matt Douglas (woodwinds), Zachariah Hickman (upright bass, electric bass), Rich Hinman (electric guitar, pedal steel), Shane Leonard (drums, percussion, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass), Kevin O’Connell (drums, percussion, electric bass, electric guitar) and Dietrich Strause (acoustic guitar, electric guitar).
Ritter has already released four singles. The album opener “Sawgrass” offers minimal piano peeking through an ambient background as begins with spoken word lyrics that eventually morph into triumphant orchestral music and melodic vocals. “Honey I Do” is more tangible with its infectious chorus, “Is anybody ever gone love you?” Ritter claims that it’s easy to think no one will ever love us again but in sharing that thought, it’s a way of saying none of us are ever alone. “Horse No Rider” has a disorienting intro, but it too finds a singalong hook amidst the blurring mix of keys and synths. The punchy “For Your Soul” reminds us that we should never get too content, and that we have to constantly fight to uphold self-dignity. As it turns out, these four singles are also the first four tracks of the album.
“Black Crown” combines pedal steel, farfisa organ, mellotron, and clarinet to produce a dizzying sonic backdrop for a brief abstract statement that ranges from guilt to comfort. The instrumentation continues to create a seamless cohesion as we move through the record, Ritter describing it as “some kind of trip down the river, just to be carried along by this thing.” He discarded songs that didn’t fit this dynamic. “Strong Swimmer” has some of his better lyrics as he seemingly reflects on a child growing up – “Now I cannot believe to see/The leagues that you have swum/Cannot believe you once were me/That you and I were one/Time travels one way/I’m afraid still I’m the fool/’Cause in my mind I try to wind/The twine back on the spool.”
The gentle “Whatever Burns Will Burn” reminds us that we remain human through both victories and failures while “Any Way They Come” pairs down to just Ritter’s vocal against Kassirer’s organ in the stark, brief “Any Way They Come” where he pleads for just a few tears. He reverts to a mix of spoken word and vocals for “In the Fields,” with a jazzy effect in middle chorus. Like almost all the songs, it rides on a spacey, spontaneous, and sometimes meandering path where steady beats and predictable structures have no place. In songs such as “Someday” he seems like the medieval poet ensconced in a satellite, making some astute but ultimately direct and common observations on today’s world, ending with the overarching notion that we are still finding ourselves – “Someday there’s gonna be justice/Will it be today?”
Ritter delivers a thoughtful, impressionistic work that is almost abstract and direct in equal measures. Yet, it’s difficult to absorb in just one listen, or to even single out individual songs. His well-crafted work is in essence a symphony with subtle treasures, both musically and lyrically, within the movements.
2 Responses
That review was so well written. I have heard the first four tracks and am eagerly waiting to hear the whole thing start to finish over and over.
Excellent review. I’m eagerly waiting to hear the whole thing from start to finish. Only hours away. Hopefully, fourteen or less depending on when those powers decide 04/28/2023 begins.