Dressed Up Like Nebraska

Personnel: Josh Rouse (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, trombone); Neilson Hubbard (vocals); Ned Henry (guitar, slide guitar, violin); David Henry (cello, bass, background vocals); Graham Spice (trumpet); George Nicholson (organ); Steve Allen (Wurlitzer piano); Jason Moon Wilkins (bass); David Gehrke (drums, tambourine).
The song-stories that comprise DRESSED UP LIKE NEBRASKA echo with a yearning brand of melancholy, and sound like pure roots rock curiously tinged with hints of 80's Brit-pop. Rouse's vocals, lyrics, and instrumentation are all understated, possessing a strange, rough loveliness. He is able to evoke the most subtle of emotions within his deceptively straightforward, guitar-led songs. Arrangements feature liberal use of cello and violin, and there is a laconic feel reminiscent of Cowboy Junkies (perhaps influenced by the collaboration of producer-musician David Henry, who has worked with the Junkies). Every song shines with an individual, unforgettable story, from the mournful "Lavina," about a woman longing for connection, to the just-out-of-reach beloved in the graceful title tune.