"Illogical Affair"

Today's blogtastic plan is to write a quick and short review of a new album I heard this past week. No Pitchfork-esque write-up but merely a simple "how this music speaks to me" note. A week ago, musical artist Joshua Rosen contacted me via lastfm email and asked if I would review his new album on my blog. It was kinda cool. And no, he doesn't know me from Adam but his listener fan base is relatively small and I happened to be the sole commenter on his page, or better yet, the sole shouter in his shout box thus making me a prime target. In this case however, I was happy to be hit. And well, I sorta felt sorry for him....haha.... oh I'm kidding. Seriously, the message in his music is awesome and spreading it around makes me feel good.

"Illogical Affair", released in late April, is Rosen's second record. Keep in mind, I'm only a happy listener and not your typical techy music reviewer/writer so please bare with my simplicity. The album is highly spiritual but not religious, and thankfully it doesn't have that extreme Christian radio sound. I'd name a few bands that fit this bill but I figure that's a fruitless endeavor. And again, these are my personal thoughts, to each his own. The new record's musical style is primarily folk, lots of acoustic guitar, soft vocals and occasional trumpets (which were a lovely addition). However, the appeal of Rosen's music is more personal than instruments and vocals. The author of his lastfm bio states it well, "I'm pretty sure he didn't write all these songs in the woods somewhere. No, the intrigue and richness of this music comes not through fabled lore or even musical prowess, but rather in his person." That is so true! You'll find no spousal rights, late nights or whiskey fights on this record. Mistakenly, I blew through the first listen and didn't fully take it in until I sat down, got quiet, and concentrated on the music/message. I tell ya, it's meaty stuff. A close friend of mine always says "it's like steak!"...and no need for A1 (which I find gross anyway), there's plenty of flavor here...nurh....Corniness aside, the lyrics resonated with me the second time around and I even got a little misty eyed. His songs are filled with restoration, transformation, taking off the old, putting on the new, boldness, unity and simply enjoying God. It reminded me how one touch or simple word is often more life changing than a thousand sermons. You'll also find praise in the mix and honest depictions of struggles we face as flawed humans living in a world of full of fears, distractions, empty pleasures and limitations. If you pay this album proper attention, it'll strike a few heart strings regardless of your beliefs. So get dinner out of the way, feed your dog, put earphones on, quiet your mind and head to the closet...

http://joshuarosen.bandcamp.com/album/illogical-affair