Josh Rouse - The Happiness Waltz

A few weekends ago, Josh Rouse streamed his upcoming album The Happiness Waltz on PledgeMusic.com.  The preview was available for a limited time exclusively to fans who have made pledges in exchange for packages and experiences surrounding the new album through PledgeMusic.  The items/experiences on offer ranged from t-shirts and posters to a private house show and an opportunity to record a song with Josh (I opted for a signed copy of the album and a pair of concert/meet and greet tickets).  While the majority of money raised from the project will go towards the funding of The Happiness Waltz, 10% of any money raised after the goal is reached will be donated to Action Against Hunger.

Onto the actual album itself.  With a title like The Happiness Waltz, I assumed the album could be of a similar theme to 1972, and while there are traces of this album in places, most notably on 'A Lot Like Magic', I see more influences drawn from Nashville, with hints of Subtitulo scattered throughout.  I think it's fair to say that musically, The Happiness Waltz is a departure from the Spanish rooted sounds of Rouse's last two releases El Turista and its follow up project Josh Rouse And The Long Vacations, instead leaning more towards the genres of the three or four albums that came before.

What captured me to Rouse's music in the first place other than the infectious melodies, is the atmospheric lyrics which not only succeed in creating a vivid imagery for the listener, but also tell a story, whether it's over the span of a song or an entire album (my favourite example of this is 2002's Under Cold Blue Stars, which follows the relationship of a Midwestern couple in the 1950's).  Infectious melodies and atmospheric lyrics are certainly present on The Happiness Waltz. Album opener 'Julie (Come Out Of The Rain)' sets the mood of the album with lines like "Outside the wind was talking / Of how I felt for you" riding strongly over country guitars and lingering bass lines.  'Western Isles' is a wonderfully upbeat track that instrumentally, with it's groovy, horn filled bridges, is reminiscent in places to 'Comeback (Light Therapy)' from 1972.  Lyrics such as "I can see the life from the Western Isles / Faded and white like a Western smile / We could live here, you know" are effectively placed, adding warmth to the song.

It's apparent that The Happiness Waltz is very much a family inspired recording, with the theme running throughout the album.  This is evident on tracks like 'Start Up A Family' and 'It's Good To Have You'.  However, 'Our Love' is the track that most succeeds in depicting the experiences that is the journey of modern family life.  "Home late from work and I'm feeling so wiped out / There's never a minute to rest / You had the kids and your feeling the same / When there's always time for a kiss" sings Rouse effortlessly over jazz littered pianos and bluesy beats.  On the chorus he sings of getting older, "The sun hides the grey in our hair / We look for things to remember / But there is life out there".

Though I found most of the album to be an enjoyable listen, there are about four or five songs that have already grown to become early favourites.  'City People, City Things' and 'Simple Pleasure', the latter of which has an irresistibly catchy chorus, are both standout tracks.  On another key track, 'A Lot Like Magic', Rouse sings "I met a man and he gave me advice...He said you live each day like your very last one / So I took that down and wrote this song" before launching into an energetic chorus filled with hooks and horns.

While I loved El Turista and Josh Rouse And The Long Vacations, I like the direction Rouse has taken with The Happiness Waltz.  The record takes influence from his previous albums, while at the same time progressing forward with modern themes and a mixture of genres - something that Rouse has always been great at, and what makes each one of his albums so unique from the last. Overall, The Happiness Waltz is classic Rouse - timeless songs with inspiring lyrics.