Last week I went to the Barbican to see Josh Ritter and was, once again, blown away by the sheer exuberance and wonder of his live shows. I've never seen anyone command a room as strongly by sheer power of enthusiasm, other than Bruce Springsteen (and my chances of ever seeing him perform anywhere this small are nil).
Amongst the brilliance, the roller-coaster of moods and emotions and the sheer bloody brilliance of the night, one song stood out and made the hairs on the hairs on the back of my hairs stand up (I'm not THAT hairy, by the way) - Kathleen.
Any song starting with the line:
All the other girls here are stars-you are the Northern Lights
is going to get my attention and this did from the first time I heard it. There's something in the way Josh Ritter delivers a song that is simultaneously energised, relaxed, carefree, pumped and - above all - joyously, unashamedly hopeful. In an age when it's cool to be cool Josh Ritter embodies true cool - that is he's cool because he is himself and doesn't care whether that's fashionable or not (and by that I mean your facial hair, sir).
The true killer line in the song is:
I won't be your last dance, just your last good night.
Every heart is a package tangled up in knots someone else tied
Brilliant. There is nothing better in the entire history of music than this song.
No comments:
Post a Comment