Sermon on the Rocks
Sermon on the Rocks | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 16, 2015 | |||
Recorded | January 5–17, 2015[1] | |||
Studio | The Parlor, New Orleans | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 44:41 | |||
Label | Pytheas Recordings | |||
Producer | Trina Shoemaker, Josh Ritter | |||
Josh Ritter chronology | ||||
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Singles from Sermon on the Rocks | ||||
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Sermon on the Rocks is the eighth full-length studio album, by singer/songwriter Josh Ritter. It was released October 16, 2015 on Pytheas Recordings.
Ritter described the record as "messianic oracular honky-tonk."
Background
American singer-songwriter Josh Ritter released his sixth full-length studio album, The Beast in Its Tracks, on March 5, 2013, via Pytheas Recordings.[2] The album, inspired by Ritter's 2011 divorce from fellow musician Dawn Landes, intentionally ended on a hopeful note, as Ritter told Boston, "I do believe that in all my records, I've never ended it on a 'down' note. I just don't believe in it. I want to leave a little fire to carry on into the next record."[3]
Critical reception
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 79/100[4] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [5] |
Irish Times | [6] |
Raidió Teilifís Éireann | [7] |
Rolling Stone | [8] |
NPR's Stephen Thomson said the album contains "some of Ritter's slipperiest, nimblest wordplay"[9] and Jonathan Bernstein of Rolling Stone commented that the record used "Eighties textures" and "vivid character sketches" to yield a very different result from its predecessor, The Beast in Its Tracks.[8]
Track listing
All songs written by Josh Ritter.
- "Birds of the Meadow" – 3:15
- "Young Moses" – 4:08
- "Henrietta, Indiana" – 3:43
- "Getting Ready To Get Down" – 3:16
- "Seeing Me Round" – 4:58
- "Where the Night Goes" – 3:49
- "Cumberland" – 2:17
- "Homecoming" – 5:31
- "The Stone" – 3:55
- "A Big Enough Sky" – 2:47
- "Lighthouse Fire" – 3:12
- "My Man on a Horse (is Here)" – 3:50
Personnel
Musicians
- Josh Ritter — acoustic and electric guitar, lead and harmony vocals
- Zachariah Hickman — upright and electric bass, acoustic and classical guitar, percussion, vocals
- Matt Barrick — drums, percussion, vocals
- Sam Kassirer — piano, electric piano, clavinet, synthesizer, Hammond and Farfisa organs, percussion, vocals
- Josh Kaufman — acoustic, electric, 12-string Rickenbacker and slide guitar, electric mandolin, bongos, vocals
- Trina Shoemaker — percussion
Production
- Recorded at The Parlor, New Orleans, January 5–17, 2015
- Produced by Trina Shoemaker and Josh Ritter
- Recorded by Trina Shoemaker with Eric Heigel
- Mixed by Trina Shoemaker
- Mastered by Jeff Lipton at Peerless Mastering
- Assistant Mastering Engineer: Maria Rice
Charts
Chart (2016) | Peak position |
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US Billboard 200[10] | 49 |
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[11] | 6 |
US Folk Albums (Billboard)[12] | 1 |
US Vinyl Albums (Billboard)[13] | 5 |
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[14] | 8 |
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)[15] | 4 |
References
- ^ Josh, Ritter (2015). Sermon on the Rocks (liner notes). Josh Ritter. Pytheas Recordings. CD-PYTH-05. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
- ^ Geslani, Michelle (December 11, 2012). "Josh Ritter announces new album, The Beast In Its Tracks". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- ^ Hughes, Christopher (May 15, 2013). "Q&A: Josh Ritter, the New Face of Folk". Boston. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- ^ Sermon on the Rocks by Josh Ritter, retrieved 2018-01-13
- ^ Deming, Mark. Sermon on the Rocks at AllMusic. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
- ^ "Josh Ritter: Sermon on the Rocks | Album Review". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
- ^ "Josh Ritter - Sermon on The Rocks". RTE.ie. 2015-10-27. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
- ^ a b Jonathan Bernstein, "Sermon on the Rocks" (review), Rolling Stone, October 29, 2015.
- ^ Stephen Thomson, "Review: Josh Ritter, 'Sermon On The Rocks'", NPR, October 7, 2015.
- ^ "Josh Ritter Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- ^ "Josh Ritter Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- ^ "Josh Ritter Chart History (Top Americana/Folk Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- ^ "Josh Ritter Chart History (Vinyl Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- ^ "Josh Ritter Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- ^ "Josh Ritter Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 14, 2021.