Josh Rouse - Dressed Up Like Nebraska (1998)

Josh Rouse plays it straight like the roads and byways which criss-cross the Great Plains. This music is the no-frills variety that takes a bit of getting used to, but once acclimated, listeners start to feel like they’ve come across something real. The songs which comprise Dressed Up Like Nebraska sound like they’ve really happened, if not to the artist, then to those near and dear to him. From “Suburban Sweetheart” to “Late Night Conversation” to “White Trash Period of My Life” to “A Woman Lost in Serious Problems,” the thread of real-life experiences weaves the listener through every possible emotion. Dark, but not melancholy, Dressed Up Like Nebraska is the type of record that the Nashville hat squad try to say isn’t made any more. This is one of those classic discs one hears about, but seldom hears. (James Chrispell, AllMusic)