1LP Jacket. The Embers of Time is one of the finest collections in a celebrated career that’s earned Josh Rouse plaudits everywhere from the NY Times to NPR. Hailed for his “sharp wit” by Rolling Stone and as “a talent to outrank Ryan Adams or Conor Oberst” by Uncut, Rouse has long since solidified his status as a songwriter of the highest caliber over his ten preceding studio releases, but as he navigated the unfamiliar terrain of his forties while writing The Embers of Time, he found himself facing difficult questions, suggesting that Rouse has discovered he may never know the answer, and that’s just fine.