Josh Ritter - Egyptian Lillian

A comparison with Bob Dylan is generally seen as the kiss of death for any promising career (take heed Cate Blanchett). So it's surprising to find that Josh Ritter's Lillian Egypt is a tender triumph of countrified folk and heartening lyricism. Loquaciously vivid, Ritter's crisp storytelling purrs amidst the imagery of Western America and moustachioed cowboys. With rickety pianos and romper-stomping drumming, this is an effervescent tale of forbidden love in the 1920s that emits the distant mewing of a late night hoe-down. It seems the times are finally a-changing and Ritter has found his place amongst the songwriting greats. [Billy Hamilton]