Continuing the New Year theme, here is ‘Empty Hearts’ by Josh Ritter from his fifth album, ‘The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter’. This song is a beautifully poetic prayer for the year to come. Amidst all of the drinking with friends, the narrator is longing for something more meaningful: “And she’ll know me by the sound of my hoping.”
Note that his heart is empty, not broken. There’s a cliché-defying difference. Of course, Ritter is one of the most reliable voices in Americana during turbulent times. If you’ve yet to hear 2019’s ‘Fever Breaks’, seek it out immediately. Produced by Jason Isbell and with backing from The 400 Unit, Ritter’s tenth album is one of his best.
