{"id":2001810,"date":"2025-09-06T12:35:41","date_gmt":"2025-09-06T12:35:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2001810"},"modified":"2025-09-06T12:35:41","modified_gmt":"2025-09-06T12:35:41","slug":"album-josh-ritter-heres-to-you-my-honeydew-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/album-josh-ritter-heres-to-you-my-honeydew-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Album: Josh Ritter – Here’s to You, My Honeydew review"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Americana<\/a> rocker Josh Ritter can write a beautiful song. He\u2019s one of America\u2019s premier wordsmiths of the form. He\u2019s also written two novels, which is no surprise; many of his best songs have narrative edge. He\u2019s equally capable at the music, which he calls \u201ccosmic country\u201d. At his best, it has qualities that elevate the human spirit.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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On his latest, his 13th<\/sup> album in a quarter-century career, the music is variable, but the lyricism seldom flags. The album is titled for his muse, which he calls \u201cmy honeydew\u201d (yes, overly cutesy), and the songs are in honour of that. Be that as it may, the 10 numbers run the gamut from throwaway blues-rocker \u201cKudzu Vines\u201d, berating the invasive weed, to shuffling steel-guitar-laced love songs such as \u201cThunderbird\u201d.<\/p>\n

Unlike some of his albums there\u2019s a fair bit of filler, and one song, \u201cWild Ways\u201d which is downright icky, a lame gospel-tinted FM radio rocker about \u201ca higher calling\u201d. There are others where, despite a not especially catchy backing track, his Dylan-esque voice enunciating fascinating lyrics carries it, as on the chug-along \u201cNoah\u2019s Children\u201d.<\/p>\n

But when he gets it right, it\u2019s quite a thing. The acoustic \u201cTruth is a Dimension (Both Invisible and Blinding)\u201d is about road tripping, lost love and star-gazing. It\u2019s especially wordy (\u201cTruth is not immutable\/Itself is a dimension\u201d) but contains some of the mysterious empyrean power of The Byrds\u2019 extraordinary \u201c5D\u201d. \u201cI\u2019m Listening\u201d is another one that mingles astronomy and social philosophy, bringing pondering uplift.<\/p>\n

Those who want something earthier can turn to the looped shuffling blues of \u201cHoneydew (No Light)\u201d, riven with US landscape-crossing ominous imagery (\u201cDark days lead to dark nights\u201d). There are other songs too that have decent heft, including the Leonard Cohen-esque closer \u201cThe Throne\u201d. Ritter at cruising speed musters more richness than most singer-songwriters at full throttle.<\/p>\n

Below: Watch the oddball lyric video (sort of) for “Truth is a Dimension (Both Invisible and Blinding)” by Josh Ritter<\/strong><\/p>\n