Concluding a countdown of my favorite albums of 2005…

#1 – Nashville – Josh Rouse

Two years ago I was all set to name this album my #1 of 2004 when I realized I had mis-dated it. I ended up posting Taylor Swift’s latest single as a placeholder instead.

Well, during that time I made it through ’75, ’85, and ’95, and now I’m back to finally sing the praises of Josh Rouse’s Nashville — the best album of this or pretty much any year.

I don’t imagine many others have Rouse’s fifth studio release on their list of favorite albums. It’s not exactly an established classic. But few records have grabbed me as instantly or converted me to a superfan as quickly.

This was my introduction to Rouse, a gifted singer-songwriter who began his career in Nashville but has stretched his music in all sorts of interesting directions (he has lived in Spain for nearly 20 years and has released Spanish-language albums).

Nashville was his last album before relocating, and it has the feeling of a lingering goodbye. It’s a melancholy album, but one tinged with hope. Rouse sings about the relatable pitfalls of everyday life: nursing a broken heart, trying to cheer up a sad friend, regretting the way he treated a quirky girl in middle school. It’s an album about small moments that feel big.

Musically, Rouse often gives me a Paul Simon vibe, especially when he started dabbling in tropical styles. Nashville feels a bit like Simon’s mid-70s output, by way of country pop, blue-eyed soul, and The Smiths. But this is also the sort of album that make comparisons unhelpful because it sounds so uniquely personal.

When I heard Nashville, I knew in my bones that this guy was for me. It’s a feeling I’ve had a dozen or so times in my lifetime, for a variety of artists both renowned and obscure. Rouse is maybe the least well-known, which in some ways makes him all the more special.