Review: Josh Rouse – Museums and Women
Josh Rouse returns with ‘Museums and Women’, a ten-song collection blending folk, roots rock and pop
Josh Rouse – Museums and Women
Format: LP / CD / Digital
Label: New West Records
Release date: October 23, 2026
Text: Tom Wouters
Josh Rouse is an American singer/songwriter, who after a long period living in Spain, returned to Nashville to record this new album, that blends folk, roots rock and pop music in ten songs that present themselves to us ‘with an open heart, an innate intelligence and an absolute lack of pretension’, as is said at his official website.
Museums and Women is recorded in Nashville with his longtime collaborator Brad Jones on bass and Fred Eltringham on drums and tells stories about drifters and dreamers Rouse encountered at life on the road. The songs sound hopeful and romantic, sometimes reminding of a band like The Jayhawks, but lacking those innovative and powerful songwriting.
It’s the lack of pretension and urgency that works against him. Nevertheless, Museums and Women contains ten songs, that are pleasant to the ear and empathetic. In his best moments Rouse produces memorable songs, like the vivid Short-Order Cook and the orchestral Red Apple Road.
Museums and Women captures Josh Rouse at his most hopeful and romantic.
Tracks:
01. Spring
02. January Sky
03. Parnell Street
04. Short-Order Cook
05. Wanderlust
06. Museums and Women
07. Things Are Looking Up
08. Sunday in the Country
09. Other Side of the Tracks
10. Red Apple Road
Website: https://www.joshrouse.com/
Read also:
Want to discover more from Josh Rouse and related artists? Click on the titles below to read earlier articles on Bluestown Music.
James McMurtry – Horses And The Hounds
An album rooted in Americana and narrative songwriting.
The Wallflowers – Exit Wounds
American roots rock with melodic songwriting.
Emily Nenni – Drive & Cry
A Nashville-based artist exploring traditional country and roots music.