Dressed Up Like Nebraska

Josh Rouse

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 28, 1998)
• Original Release Date: April 28, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Slow River Records
• ASIN: B000006CBY
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #108,711 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

From the Label
On April 28th, Josh Rouse makes his debut with the Slow River/Rykodisc release DRESSED UP LIKE NEBRASKA (SRR 36), a collection of vignettes soaked in raw emotion and wrung out, elegantly. Sort of Freedy Johnston meets Nick Drake, Rouse's vocals resonate with a can't-quite-put-your-finger on it longing, making his music as much about what's left in it, as it is about what's left out.

Born in Nebraska and recently relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, 25-year-old Rouse lived for spells in California, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, South Dakota, Georgia and Arizona. Though he wanted to be in a band since he was 15, and was more than mildly obsessed with Morrissey's Viva Hate, the Cure's Kiss Me, and U2's Joshua Tree, he was 18 before he wrote his first song. His uncle taught him guitar by teaching him Neil Young material, but the English record collection moved with Josh from state to state. Not even ten years since his first writing effort, DRESSED UP LIKE NEBRASKA is unsurprisingly equal parts rootsy, straight-ahead rock, with just enough British pop to reflect his earliest infatuations.

Showcasing his evocative songwriting and unassuming musicianship, DRESSED UP LIKE NEBRASKA is performed on acoustic guitar, brushed drums, and subtle bass, with arrangements including cello, organ, and violin (augmented by producer/collaborator David Henry, a Cowboy Junkies tour alumnus) that tint the songs with a shimmery warmth. Part moody and melancholic, part music for the freeway, NEBRASKA collects 10 original songs that move from one to the other with an easy grace.

Product Description
Josh Rouse's 1998 debut album, A collection of vignettes soaked in raw emotion and wrung out, elegantly. Sort of Freedy Johnston meets Nick Drake, Rouse's vocals resonate with a can't-quite-put-your-finger on it longing, making his music as much about what's left in it, as it is about what's left out. 10 tracks. Slow River.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dressed Down Like Iowa, November 17, 2002

By	Lee Armstrong (Winterville, NC United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Rouse's CD is a great treat. The opening track "Suburban Sweetheart" is my favorite with its addictive strum of guitar, "Take me back to the suburbubs, rent a house, change our names, if we could only find a purpose, we could only stay the same." Rouse, a native of Nebraska, sings the title track with David Henry's cello giving a Jackson Browne poignance to the arrangement. "Invisible" has a slow meandering feel with the bass and organ dressing up this song sketch as a good mood piece. "Late Night Conversation" opens like a rocker before turning into a Christopher Cross melody. "Flair" is a midtempo track with electric guitar churning like indigestion & the tap of the cymbal, "I can't recall the name, the faces are the same to me, the same you see." Rouse's vocals briefly emerge from the shadows on "The White Trash Period of My Life." Sounding more like a painting than a song title, "A Woman Lost in Serious Problems" is somber and meditative, "Did you ever wonder why I'm so concerned with all the ways; and I think I know the way to ease your mind some." "Lavinia" is a midtempo track with a country jazz feel. The CD concludes with "Reminiscent," a soft ethereal piece. Rouse's music comes across more often like sound sketches rather than fully developed songs. Because the lyrics are distinctive and the voice submerged below the instrumentation, it would have been nice to have a lyric sheet. But there are so many moods and emotions that fly out of Rouse's tracks that DULN is a very interesting set, well work seeking out. Enjoy!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quietly brilliant., April 15, 1999

By A Customer

I really, really like this record, and like other personal favourites of mine it took a while for me to realise it's greatness. Like a few said below, Josh Rouse's 'Dressed up like Nebraska' gets under your skin with it's gorgeous lilting melodies and thoughtful tales of everyday life/relationships and love lost. While the album is solid throughout, high points include the title track, 'Invisible', the excellent - 'Flair', and 'Lavina'. It's been a year since this was released, and while Josh Rouse isn't exactly a household name - this will be considered a classic down the line.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Needs a few listens, November 27, 2000

By	Gerald Keating (Sydney, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

This album by Rouse is superior to his follow-up 'Home', and as another reviewer noted, Rouse will probably never be a household name, but this album is a classic. Probably because this album is so good, but not so mainstream and sellable, did 'Home' pale a bit. Standout tracks include 'Invisibile', 'Late Night Conversation', 'Flair' and the overlooked 'The White Trash Period of My Life'. A truly incredible debut album.