Sermon on the Rocks

American singer-songwriter Josh Ritter released his sixth full-length studio album, The Beast in Its Tracks, on March 5, 2013, via Pytheas Recordings.{{cite news |last1=Geslani |first1=Michelle |title=Josh Ritter announces new album, The Beast In Its Tracks |url=https://consequence.net/2012/12/josh-ritter-announces-new-album-the-beast-in-its-tracks/ |access-date=April 14, 2021 |work=Consequence of Sound |date=December 11, 2012}} The album, inspired by Ritter's 2011 divorce from fellow musician Dawn Landes, intentionally ended on a hopeful note, as Ritter told Boston, "I do believe that in all my records, I've never ended it on a 'down' note. I just don't believe in it. I want to leave a little fire to carry on into the next record."{{cite news |last1=Hughes |first1=Christopher |title=Q&A: Josh Ritter, the New Face of Folk |url=https://www.bostonmagazine.com/arts-entertainment/2013/05/15/interview-josh-ritter-folk-music-beast-tracks/ |access-date=April 14, 2021 |work=Boston |date=May 15, 2013}}

{{Music ratings

| MC = 79/100{{Citation|title=Sermon on the Rocks by Josh Ritter|url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/sermon-on-the-rocks/josh-ritter|accessdate=2018-01-13}}

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}} {{AllMusic | class=album | id=mw0002865277 | label=Sermon on the Rocks | first=Mark | last=Deming | accessdate=January 14, 2016}}

| rev2 = Irish Times

| rev2Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/josh-ritter-sermon-on-the-rocks-album-review-1.2391645|title=Josh Ritter: Sermon on the Rocks {{!}} Album Review|work=The Irish Times|access-date=2018-01-13|language=en-US}}

| rev3 =Raidió Teilifís Éireann

| rev3Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/music-reviews/2015/1027/737842-josh-ritter-sermon-the-rocks/|title=Josh Ritter - Sermon on The Rocks|date=2015-10-27|website=RTE.ie|language=en|access-date=2018-01-13}}

| rev4 = Rolling Stone

| rev4Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}

}}

NPR's Stephen Thomson said the album contains "some of Ritter's slipperiest, nimblest wordplay"Stephen Thomson, [https://www.npr.org/2015/10/07/445261578/first-listen-josh-ritter-sermon-on-the-rocks "Review: Josh Ritter, 'Sermon On The Rocks'"], NPR, October 7, 2015. and Jonathan Bernstein of Rolling Stone commented that the record used "Eighties textures" and "vivid character sketches" to yield a very different result from its predecessor, The Beast in Its Tracks.Jonathan Bernstein, [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/josh-ritter-sermon-on-the-rocks-20151029 "Sermon on the Rocks" (review)], Rolling Stone, October 29, 2015.

All songs written by Josh Ritter.

1. "Birds of the Meadow" – 3:15
2. "Young Moses" – 4:08
3. "Henrietta, Indiana" – 3:43
4. "Getting Ready To Get Down" – 3:16
5. "Seeing Me Round" – 4:58
6. "Where the Night Goes" – 3:49
7. "Cumberland" – 2:17
8. "Homecoming" – 5:31
9. "The Stone" – 3:55
10. "A Big Enough Sky" – 2:47
11. "Lighthouse Fire" – 3:12
12. "My Man on a Horse (is Here)" – 3:50

• Josh Ritter — acoustic and electric guitar, lead and harmony vocals
• Zachariah Hickman — upright and electric bass, acoustic and classical guitar, percussion, vocals
• Matt Barrick — drums, percussion, vocals
• Sam Kassirer — piano, electric piano, clavinet, synthesizer, Hammond and Farfisa organs, percussion, vocals
• Josh Kaufman — acoustic, electric, 12-string Rickenbacker and slide guitar, electric mandolin, bongos, vocals
• Trina Shoemaker — percussion

• Recorded at The Parlor, New Orleans, January 5–17, 2015
• Produced by Trina Shoemaker and Josh Ritter
• Recorded by Trina Shoemaker with Eric Heigel
• Mixed by Trina Shoemaker
• Mastered by Jeff Lipton at Peerless Mastering
• Assistant Mastering Engineer: Maria Rice

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.joshritter.com/ Josh Ritter official website]
• [https://www.lyrics.com/album/3251654 Lyrics]

{{Josh Ritter}}

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Category:Josh Ritter albums

Category:2015 albums