Under Cold Blue Stars : Josh Rouse : Review : Rolling Stone

Nebraska native Josh Rouse may reside in Nashville and have started his career as a primarily acoustic artist, but his tastes lean toward the Smiths and the Cure. Those influences, which have been just under the surface on his previous albums, are combined with his inherent Americana sensibility on the tuneful Under Cold Blue Stars. The result is a surprisingly upbeat collection of inviting pop numbers. Fleshed out by horns, percussion and loops, the songs range from the cheery "Christmas With Jesus," which finds Rouse doing his best Richard Butler impersonation, to the laid-back, R&B vibe of the lovely title track and the poppy "Miracle." And when he does return to his bare-bones style, as on the haunting "Summer Kitchen Ballad" and the sparse "Women and Men," the effect is even more striking.

STEVE BALTIN
(February 19, 2002)