Even whilst he sings about heads being cleaved off with hatchets and hearts rend asunder, the smile remains as wide as the Grand Canyon. The owner of said smile is the irrepressible Josh Ritter, who tonight presents new album So Runs The World Away. The two-hour set is never less than respectfully received, the crowd allowing the writerly details and subtle melancholies of the fresh material to sink into their hearts. But then, Ritter is a consummate charmer, be it playfully dedicating a song to the Icelandic volcano, or downing a pint of Guinness in one before doing a brisk set of push-ups.
Certain new songs make a quick play for the crowd’s affections. ‘Rattling Locks’ arrives on a ramshackle beat, synthesizer swooning in and Ritter casting love aside with mean finality. ‘The Curse’ builds with great patience, keys that sound like a broken-down Wurlitzer creating a ghostly fairground ambience that’s entirely appropriate for both the bizarre fable and the setting. “It’s a really nice tent,” observes Josh, “I’m used to the ones you wake up all sticky in after making a bad decision!” Then there’s ‘Folk Bloodbath’, his slow, bluesy and heavy-hearted take on the immortal tale of Stagger Lee, and the slow-burn meditation of ‘See How Man Was Made’, all slivers of lap steel and dabs of upright bass.
The Idaho troubadour ensures that old favourites make their yearned-for appearance too. A leg-pumping ‘Harrisburg’ segues neatly into Chris Isaak’s ‘Wicked Game’, during which bassist Zack Hickman and his handlebar moustache steal the show. There’s a countrified cover of ‘Moon River’ and then a joyous double whammy of ‘Snow Is Gone’ and ‘Wait For Love’.
A quality evening’s entertainment, all told.