Pitchfork

Like I was saying: Josh Ritter isn't John Ritter (stop it) or Josh Rouse (breathe easy), but here he plays at being some kind of saint. Peter and Paul battle via epistle on the first track from Ritter's forthcoming album, as bright-eyed acoustic guitar, Hammond organ, and Califonic electronic sighs (that's Brian Deck on twiddling-knobs) warm the spirit like a belly of fresh-brewed by dawn's early. "Talking to God is Laurel begging Hardy for a gun," Peter despairs-- so why's Ritter's mountain twang all pearls?"