Folksy songwriter Josh Ritter's Bring in the Darlings EP, which came out close to a year ago, featured outtakes from his upcoming, then-untitled album. Now, he has announced the details of The Beast in Its Tracks, due out March 5 on Pytheas Recordings.
The 13-track collection was recorded between 2011 and 2012 at the Great North Sound Society in Parsonsfield, ME. Like Ritter's last couple of albums, it was produced by Sam Kassirer, who also plays in the songwriter's Royal City Band.
The new material was apparently inspired by heartbreak. Ritter said in a statement, "In the year after my marriage ended, I realized that I had more new songs than I'd ever had at one time. Far from the grand, sweeping feel of the songs on [2010's] So Runs the World Away, these new songs felt like rocks in the shoe, hard little nuggets of whatever they were, be it spite, remorse, or happiness."
The first single is the plaintive "Joy to You Baby," which you can stream at the bottom of the page along with a brief trailer.
Scroll past the tracklist to see the dates from Ritter's upcoming North American tour, which from February to May and includes several Canadian dates.
The Beast in Its Tracks:
1. Third Arm
2. Evil Eye
3. A Certain Light
4. Hopeful
5. Nightmares
6. New Lover
7. Heart's Ease
8. In Your Arms Again
9. The Appleblossom Rag
10. Bonfire
11. In Your Arms Awhile
12. Joy To You Baby
13. Lights
Tour dates:
2/13 Albany, NY - The Egg
2/14 Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
2/15 Montreal, QC - Le Cabaret Du Mile End
2/16 Wakefield, QC - The Blacksheep Inn
2/17 Hamilton, ON - The Studio
2/18 Waterloo, ON - Starlight Social Club
3/13 Dallas, TX - Granada Theatre
3/14 Austin, TX - SXSW
3/16 Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre
3/18 Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up
3/19 Los Angeles, CA - Fonda Theatre
3/20 Oakland, CA - The Fox Theatre
3/21 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
3/22 Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
3/23 Seattle, WA - The Neptune
3/24 Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory
3/25 Missoula, MT - Wilma Theatre
3/27 Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
4/14 Cincinnati, OH - Taft Theatre
4/15 Columbus, OH - Southern Theatre
4/16 Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall
4/17 Detroit, MI - Royal Oak Theatre
4/18 Indianapolis, IN - The Vogue
4/19 Louisville, KY - Brown Theatre
4/20 St. Louis, MO - Plush
4/21 Lawrence, KS - Liberty Hall
4/23 Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theatre
4/24 Madison, WI - Capitol Theatre
4/25 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
4/27 Chicago, IL - The Vic Theatre
5/8 Portland, ME - State Theatre *
5/9 Northampton, MA - Calvin Theatre *
5/10 Washington, DC - 9.30 Club *
5/12 Carrboro, NC - Cat¹s Cradle *
5/13 Asheville, NC - Orange Peel *
5/14 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse *
5/16 Philadelphia, PA - The Trocadero *
5/17 Boston, MA - House of Blues *
5/18 New York, NY - Terminal 5 *
* with the Felice Brothers
The 13-track collection was recorded between 2011 and 2012 at the Great North Sound Society in Parsonsfield, ME. Like Ritter's last couple of albums, it was produced by Sam Kassirer, who also plays in the songwriter's Royal City Band.
The new material was apparently inspired by heartbreak. Ritter said in a statement, "In the year after my marriage ended, I realized that I had more new songs than I'd ever had at one time. Far from the grand, sweeping feel of the songs on [2010's] So Runs the World Away, these new songs felt like rocks in the shoe, hard little nuggets of whatever they were, be it spite, remorse, or happiness."
The first single is the plaintive "Joy to You Baby," which you can stream at the bottom of the page along with a brief trailer.
Scroll past the tracklist to see the dates from Ritter's upcoming North American tour, which from February to May and includes several Canadian dates.
The Beast in Its Tracks:
1. Third Arm
2. Evil Eye
3. A Certain Light
4. Hopeful
5. Nightmares
6. New Lover
7. Heart's Ease
8. In Your Arms Again
9. The Appleblossom Rag
10. Bonfire
11. In Your Arms Awhile
12. Joy To You Baby
13. Lights
Tour dates:
2/13 Albany, NY - The Egg
2/14 Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
2/15 Montreal, QC - Le Cabaret Du Mile End
2/16 Wakefield, QC - The Blacksheep Inn
2/17 Hamilton, ON - The Studio
2/18 Waterloo, ON - Starlight Social Club
3/13 Dallas, TX - Granada Theatre
3/14 Austin, TX - SXSW
3/16 Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre
3/18 Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up
3/19 Los Angeles, CA - Fonda Theatre
3/20 Oakland, CA - The Fox Theatre
3/21 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
3/22 Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
3/23 Seattle, WA - The Neptune
3/24 Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory
3/25 Missoula, MT - Wilma Theatre
3/27 Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
4/14 Cincinnati, OH - Taft Theatre
4/15 Columbus, OH - Southern Theatre
4/16 Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall
4/17 Detroit, MI - Royal Oak Theatre
4/18 Indianapolis, IN - The Vogue
4/19 Louisville, KY - Brown Theatre
4/20 St. Louis, MO - Plush
4/21 Lawrence, KS - Liberty Hall
4/23 Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theatre
4/24 Madison, WI - Capitol Theatre
4/25 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
4/27 Chicago, IL - The Vic Theatre
5/8 Portland, ME - State Theatre *
5/9 Northampton, MA - Calvin Theatre *
5/10 Washington, DC - 9.30 Club *
5/12 Carrboro, NC - Cat¹s Cradle *
5/13 Asheville, NC - Orange Peel *
5/14 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse *
5/16 Philadelphia, PA - The Trocadero *
5/17 Boston, MA - House of Blues *
5/18 New York, NY - Terminal 5 *
* with the Felice Brothers
Josh Ritter - The Beast In Its Tracks Album Teaser from Josh Ritter on Vimeo.
