Josh Ritter

Cult troubadour Josh Ritter has been compared to some pretty big names—including Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, and Bruce Springsteen—in his 13+ years of making music. They’re fair comparisons to make since Ritter plays rootsy, expansive guitar songs periodically laced with orchestral melodies and sprinkled liberally with biblical and historical references. The Idaho singer-songwriter doesn’t shy away from the obvious influences critics have picked up on, and it works well for him. 2010’s So Runs The World Away even seeks to outdo them with its centerpiece song, “Folklore Bloodbath,” gathering together Stagger Lee, Delia Green, and other usual suspects from Americana murder ballads, then spinning their stories into a single, grisly epic.

Updated 02/22/2011