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Early in his career, Josh Rouse moved from state to state every few years, channeling the things he saw in each location into albums like Nashville and Dressed Up Like Nebraska. He jumped between genres, too, adopting a 1970s singer/songwriter stance one minute and exploring lush pop/rock the next. Things aren't quite as energetic on Josh Rouse and the Long Vacations, where he settles more firmly into the Latin grooves and Mediterranean melodies of his adopted Spain. He's played the role of "world music crooner" a few times since moving to the country in 2006 -- on El Turista, he even sang a few songs in Spanish -- but Long Vacations marks the spot where Rouse's ex-pat schtick runs out of steam. After all these years overseas, he still comes across like a guy from the Midwest, no matter how hard he strums his flamenco guitar. These songs never hit their mark as a result, aiming for the relaxed pitch of an afternoon siesta and often sounding closer to a snoozefest instead. Fortunately, any album by Josh Rouse still has its share of scattered highlights, even an album as spotty as Long Vacations, and "Oh, Look What the Sun Did!" shines as one the few moments where Rouse conjures up a sunny, chilled-out vibe without forgetting to anchor things with some sort of memorable hook. The arrangements are stunning, too, with simple touches of bossa nova, jazz, and Latin pop laced throughout. But this is Josh Rouse, a man whose best songs are well arranged and well written, and one outta two just isn't up to snuff. ~ Andrew Leahey
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