Josh Ritter: Lush instrumentation and Dylanesque lyrics.
For those of us who like to pretend we’re into high culture, Thursday’s Hilary Hahn and Josh Ritter concert at Oberlin should provide bonus points for the year.
First, there’s Ritter, an Oberlin alum and singer/songwriter who sounds like a blast from a more artful pop past. He’s got Dylanesque lyrics, a soulful voice, and lush instrumentation that lends a tinge of irony to whatever he’s doing. On his most recent album, The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter, he manages to bust out memorable tunes about the atomic bomb, girls’ underwear, and the “last great romantic…”
This article appears in Apr 9-15, 2008.