Josh Ritter So Runs the World

Folk-rock troubadour Josh Ritter has been releasing one batch of thoughtfully crafted tunes after another for a decade now, but So Runs the World Away is his first album to go the indie route since 2003's Hello Starling. While it's largely acoustic-based and centered around his skilled songwriting, the record doesn't shy away from the occasional evocative production flourish either, and early reports have had media touts -- at least those outlets predisposed to Ritter-friendliness -- positively wetting themselves. 

Abstract by Jim Allen