15 used & new from $9.99

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
 
Available to Download Now
 
Buy the MP3 album for $8.99
 
 
 
 
Animal Years
 
See larger image
 

Animal Years

Josh Ritter
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews) More about this product


Available from these sellers.


8 new from $16.99 7 used from $9.99
Buy the MP3 album for $8.99 at the Amazon MP3 Downloads store.


Amazon's Josh Ritter Store

Josh Ritter
Find all the CDs, MP3s, and vinyl, plus photos, videos, biographies, discussions, and more.

Visit Amazon's Josh Ritter Store

Special Offers and Product Promotions


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter

The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter

~ Josh Ritter
4.5 out of 5 stars (46)  $7.99
Hello Starling

Hello Starling

~ Josh Ritter
4.9 out of 5 stars (26)  $22.99
Josh Ritter

Josh Ritter

~ Josh Ritter
Golden Age of Radio

Golden Age of Radio

~ Josh Ritter
In the Dark: Live at Vicar Street (CD&DVD - 2 discs)

In the Dark: Live at Vicar Street (CD&DVD - 2 discs)

~ Josh Ritter
4.9 out of 5 stars (8)  $22.98
Explore similar items

Product Details

  • Audio CD (April 11, 2006)
  • Original Release Date: March 20, 2006
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Label: V2 North America
  • ASIN: B000EOTV7U
  • Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #20,256 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

 
1. Here At The Right Time
2. Thin Blue Flame
3. Best For The Best
4. Good Man
5. One More Mouth
6. In The Dark
7. Idaho
8. Lillian, Egypt
9. Monster Ballads
10. Wolves
11. Girl In The War

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

It can be a dangerous proposition when an artist decides to challenge himself. Ambition means precious little without the talent to back it up. Idaho's Josh Ritter needn't worry: he's willed himself to great heights on The Animal Years, his fourth full-length and first for a major label. By combining his mysterious, knotty lyrics with straightforward melodies, nuanced, sensitive arrangements, and an unassuming vocal style, he's hit upon a spellbinding formula that confidently stretches the boundaries of folk music. Perhaps his most inspired move was in hiring producer Brian Deck, who's helped artists as diverse as Modest Mouse and Iron & Wine take great artistic leaps. Deck gives Ritter a huge, immediate, but not overwhelming presence, and he adds just the right touches--a gentle mandolin, an ominous piano, a swirling organ, marching drums--at just the right times. The album's centerpiece is the fire-and-brimstone "Thin Blue Flame," a slowly building, nearly 10-minute epic with a simple two-chord motif and portentous, surreal lyrical flurries. Throughout the album, Ritter's complex thoughts and observations about himself and the world at large--thick with literary references and religious imagery--seem sagely inconclusive; he revels in life's shades of gray, content to vividly describe what he sees and feels without hope or pessimism. Tender and reflective, haunting and unnerving, profound and unfathomable, The Animal Years is a consistently compelling, finely crafted work. --Marc Greilsamer


Product Description

The 29-year old Idaho native returns with his stunning new album. Following the independent release of "The Golden Age Of Radio" (2002) and "Hello Starling" (2003), Ritter was championed by critics in publications ranging from the NY Times to Details. On this, his V2 debut, Josh more than lives up to the buzz. "As a storyteller, Ritter is matched only by his lofty influences" - Pitchfork. "He approaches songwriting and performing with humility, respect, and unforced and unaffected honesty" - No Depression.

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(1)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

 

Customer Reviews

32 Reviews
5 star:
 (25)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (32 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Josh gets serious, April 12, 2006
You can't blame Josh Ritter for getting to this point in his career and feeling some kind of need to make a statement, get a bit more serious as an artist, join the ranks. To me it feels very much like `The Animal Years' (a reference to his early days as a musician, apparently) is Josh saying, okay, here I am, I'm as good as anyone else and I claim my place. The animal years are over.
Many fans will have watched Josh's music progress from his charming, and at times humorous first album, through `Golden Age of Radio' and the breakthrough `Hello Starling'. Part of the charm at the start was that he didn't appear to be taking himself too seriously. Now he is.
But that's okay if you can pull it off without sounding pompous or silly, and of course he does pull it off. I'm not sure I particularly enjoy all nine minutes odd of `Thin Blue Flame', but I've sat with the lyrics and it's brilliantly written. Along with the more tuneful `In the Dark' `Thin Blue Flame' is the unavoidable comment on today's bad, bad world, but one is direct and uncompromising, the other light and melodic, beautiful even.
Ritter's writing is changing: the themes here are identifiable but not so easy to access as before. You have to stop and figure out what these songs are really about, you have to interpret the meaning.
Other things are changing too. Josh sounded, or tried to sound gruff like Dylan on his first record. Now he's almost borrowing Ryan Adams' `other voice' and often sings high, sweet and open, like on the plaintive `Idaho' or `One More Mouth'. This guy can sing.
`Thin Blue Flame' manages not to unbalance the album luckily. In fact, there's a nice balance between `Hello starling' type songs that have a driving rhythm, lighter songs like `Good Man' and sparse, quiet songs like `Idaho'.
I'm not a huge fan of songs like `Lillian', which I find a bit noisy and monotonous. But there are some cracking songs, some that really hit the spot. `Good Man' is brilliantly put together, catchy, intricate, unusual. `Monster Ballads' is spacious and deliberate, atmospheric, iconic. There are at least two others that seem destined to become all-time favourites.
So I can't help giving this the full five stars. It's very good. I just wonder though whether I don't LIKE those early albums just a little more. Time will tell.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars This Generation's Greatest Songwriter, April 11, 2006
By irishcornboy (Phoenix, Arizona) - See all my reviews
When the market is flooded with sensitive male singer/songwriters at the moment, how does one find room for one more? Easy, when one of them writes music as timeless, classic and important as Josh's. Mr. Ritter writes beautifully crafted songs; scattered with poetic lyricism and visual imagery that imbeds into your psyche long after the disc has ended. Josh is one of those special singer/songwriters that has slowly built more ground with each new release and quietly he has become of this generation's greatest songwriters. And even though this is only Josh's fourth release, it promises and solidifies his place in history. An equal balance of folk and rock, political and personal, upbeat and low. Drawing on inspiration from Dante to Mark Twain. Josh, band and producer Brian Deck (Iron & Wine, Wheat, Modest Mouse) have created a classic, timeless sounding, American singer/songwriter record. Yet, it also sounds like very much a band, in production and musical scope. With each listen you discover something unique and new. The subtle little sounds Mr. Deck weaves in and out of the songs showcases the man's talent as producer. Strong imagery has always been a major plus in Josh's music. On this disc he's pushed himself into the category of Townes Van Zandt, Leonard Cohen and John Prine (all who are influences on Josh). I doubt anyone will top this disc on my year end poll.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Sorry Mr. King he is no Dylan but well worth hearing, November 7, 2007
By McBeth "Solidly Eclectic" (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews
I heard about Josh Ritter in a newspaper article telling us that Stephen King was promoting Ritter's music and calling him the Bob Dylan for today. Josh has been around a while and has proven quite popular in Ireland so I checked him out on YouTube. I liked what I heard and bought this and a previous recording. Both recordings are hampered by rather poor quality reproduction. Some tunes sound as if they were recorded in a basement. So why did I give it four stars? Because it is not the musicality that counts here but rather the poetry which is imaginative and paints a vivid picture. The first tune on this disc, "I Have a Girl in the War" is indeed a Dylan poem for today. It made me stop and realize that this is the first war where we have female soldiers dying in the field of battle. Where husbands and lovers worry and wait for their woman/girl to come home. It is a very moving piece. Good poetry and Josh is blessed with a very good singing voice. Now what he needs is a good production company behind him to produce a better quality product. That said, it is well worth the price--buy it, you'll enjoy!
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars An instant classic
Josh Ritter
The Animal Years; 2006
V2 Records

My Rating: 91/100

What can I say about this that Stephen King hasn't already? Read more
Published 2 months ago by John Carswell

5.0 out of 5 stars It took a while
It took a while for me to warm up to this album, but once I did, it stayed on the cd player for months. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Lauren J. Walter

2.0 out of 5 stars not for me
i think i didnt mean to order this but i listened to it all the way through anyway. i dont know anything else about josh ritter but there isn't too much that separates him from... Read more
Published 22 months ago by space kaiser

5.0 out of 5 stars "Animal Years"
I heard one song from a European music blog and I was hooked. Am slowly building up a CD collection as they appear on Amazon.

gg
Published on September 6, 2007 by George K. Grassby

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!
I love this CD, and have gotten it for several friends who have become fans as well.
Published on May 18, 2007 by Danny B. - Genius

3.0 out of 5 stars Buy "Hello Starling" instead
It's unfortunate that this was intended to be Ritter's breakout album. The production is more slick but something is lost from the performance as a result. Read more
Published on May 12, 2007 by J. Nichols

3.0 out of 5 stars Spotty but some songs really good
I enjoy about half the cd very much. The rest I can take or leave, a bit non-folky or repetitive.
Published on May 7, 2007 by Eva Vanstratum

5.0 out of 5 stars Josh Ritter
Best new (to me) voice I have heard in a few years. Lovely melodies, sensitive lyrics. jk
Published on March 10, 2007 by Joseph Keiffer

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Album
This is a good album that grows on you. "Girl in the War" should be an modern anthem. Don't know if it mainstream enough for that. Read more
Published on March 8, 2007 by Coleen L. Coombs

5.0 out of 5 stars He knows how to put words together
Wolves, Girl In The War. Just two examples of this young man's ability to write music. He could use some production help but I am sure it will get nothing but better. Read more
Published on February 22, 2007 by T. Gabriel

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
Concert tours 1 May 2006
Animal years 0 March 2006
See all 2 discussions...  
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Discussion Replies Latest Post
Chalk or Cheese 934 6 minutes ago
Icehouse addendum 2 7 minutes ago
Album Title Tag 3 9639 7 minutes ago
Who was better as a solo artist after he left the band? 42 9 minutes ago
FAVORITE SONGS FROM THE 70'S ALL GENRE 7002 13 minutes ago
Song Title Tag VI 4484 15 minutes ago
Family Tradition 35 1 hour ago
you thought I was what? 3 3 hours ago
Search Customer Discussions
   
Explore more




SoundUnwound Says...

The Animal Years opens new browser window by Josh Ritter opens new browser window is mainly Bluegrass, quite Alternative Country, with hints of Americana”

Disagree? Cast your vote now! opens new browser window

Share your knowledge and explore the rest of the music world at SoundUnwound.com opens new browser window

SoundUnwound Logo

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Animal Years
48% buy the item featured on this page:
Animal Years 4.6 out of 5 stars (32)
The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter
26% buy
The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter 4.5 out of 5 stars (46)
$7.99
Golden Age of Radio
11% buy
Golden Age of Radio 4.5 out of 5 stars (2)
$11.99
Hello Starling
9% buy
Hello Starling 4.9 out of 5 stars (26)
$22.99


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

Search Music by subject:









i.e., each title must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...
 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.



Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.