Josh Ritter announces new album, Fever Breaks, shares “Old Black Magic”: Stream

Pranav Trewn
Updated
josh ritter, photo by david mcclister fever breaks old black magic stream

Josh Ritter is returning this year with a new full-length, his tenth studio LP and follow-up to 2017’s Gathering. The Americana songwriter’s latest album, Fever Breaks, spans 10 tracks recorded at Nashville’s RCA Studio A over the second half of the past year. Jason Isbell produced the effort, which features his band The 400 Unit playing backup. It’s an exciting confluence of talents, and the promised chemistry bears out on the album’s gritty lead single “Old Black Magic”.

An unyielding five-minute rocker, “Old Black Magic” collapses Ritter’s weary-yet-resiliant lyricism with the 400 Unit’s distinctive southern swagger. The drums slap like spit to the ground, with the guitars pulling the song forward like an ever-tightening rubber band that eventually snaps into a wide-screen guitar solo. The song is all verve. Listen below.

Fever Breaks is out April 26th via Pytheas Recordings/Thirty Tigers.

Fever Breaks Tracklist:
01. Ground Don’t Want Me
02. Old Black Magic
03. On The Water
04. I Still Love You (Now and Then)
05. The Torch Committee
06. Silverblade
07. All Some Kind of Dream
08. Losing Battles
09. A New Man
10. Blazing Highway Home

Josh Ritter has also mapped out a run of tour dates beginning in May with his longtime ensemble, The Royal City Band. His full itinerary is below. Get tickets here.

Josh Ritter and The Royal City Band 2019 Tour Dates:
05/08 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall *
05/09 – Montreal, QC @ L’Astral *
05/10 – Northampton, MA @ Calvin Theater *
05/11 – Boston, MA @ Wilbur Theater *
05/14 – Philadelphia, PA @ Keswick Theater *
05/16 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Carnegie Memorial Hall *
05/17 – Washington, DC @ Lincoln Theater *
05/18 – Charlottesville VA @ Jefferson Theater *
05/19 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse *
05/21 – Cincinnati, OH @ Taft Theater *
05/22 – Chicago, IL @ The Vic *
05/23 – Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theater *
06/14 – Houston, TX @ Heights Theater +
06/15 – Austin, TX @ Paramount Theatre +
06/20 – Boise, ID @ Egyptian Theater *
06/21 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory *
06/22 – Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theater *
06/23 – Seattle, WA @ The Moore *
06/25 – Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall *
06/28 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater *
06/29 – Los Angeles, CA @ Theater at the Ace *
09/21 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre +
09/26 – Durham, NC @ Carolina Theater +
09/27 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel +
09/28 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium

* = w/ Penny & Sparrow
+ = w/ support from Amanda Shires