Just Joshin'

Tiger loves Josh Ritter.

And no, before you say anything, this is NOT Cackle Mummy projecting her ardent and long-standing adoration of her Idaho Idol on her baby girl.

Last week, Cackle Mummy was OHMIGOLLYGOSH excited to receive in the post the long-awaited new album by her very favourite singer of all time, all the way from the US-of-A, and complete with a snazzy tee shirt and handwritten lyric book NO LESS! She immediately put the CD in the player and ...

Tiger's little face lit up. Her eyes sparkled. She giggled and cooed. It was JOSH! New JOSH and it was GOOD!

Cackle Mummy has played the (wonderful - oh my gosh WONDERFUL) album every day since it arrived, and every time Tiger has been totally captivated by Josh in all his heart-wrenching, poetic, melodic glory.

Mummy can only attribute this Baby Fandom with the fact she played Josh constantly when Tiger was in utero. She has been a little fangirl since before she entered the world. And, since Mummy's love of Josh is so deep it must be embedded in her DNA, Tiger must have inherited it in her genetics - indeed, her Poppy S is also a devoted fan, so it runs in the family!

Plus, she just has great goshdarned taste!

The Beast In Its Tracks is, indeed, a masterpiece. Written in the shadowy time after his breakup with fellow singer Dawn Landes (who supported him in the concert Mummy saw, in Oxford, UK), and before he became a father himself to his new (writer!!!) love, this new album is imbued with all the agony of a heart totally destroyed. And yet, while the lyrics tell a tale of raw, profound loss and grief, the melodies are every bit as beautiful and toe-tapping as any of Josh's previous material.

And Tiger likes tapping her little toes to them, just as her Mummy does.

Mummy knows that Daddy Bear will do his level best to turn Tiger into a little metalhead as she grows up, and Mummy will have no objection to this as she loves her some metal too. But Mummy hopes there is enough of Poppy S's bootscootin' DNA in there too that Tiger will be a little country cowgirl too.

Or, at the very least, Cackle Mummy will be satisfied if Tiger continues to love Josh.

Because he really is the loveliest!

And this song is my Tessa song. It is her favourite:


"I’ve never met someone loves the world more than her
She’s been through her own share of hard times as well
And she’s learned how to tear out the heaven from hell.
Most nights I’m alright still old rocks roll downhill
But she says I’ll get better, she knows that I will.
And she’s hopeful, hopeful for me.
Coming out of the dark clouds
Hopeful, hopeful for me
She says it to me often." (Hopeful, Josh Ritter, 2013)

See? Lovely, lovely, lovely.

~ Love, Miss Cackle x