Location, whether consciously or not, plays a part in shaping an artist's muse--be it a longing for home, a wish to escape, or a celebration of new environs.

The latter is the case with Josh Rouse [ tickets ]'s seventh release, "Substitulo." Having left Nashville for Spain in 2004, Rouse has soaked up the local flavors of the small Spanish village he now calls home.

Recorded in Spain, with producer Brad Jones again manning the decks, "Substitulo"opens with the acoustic and reflective "Quiet Town," presumably an autobiographical tune acknowledging the satisfaction Rouse has found in becoming anonymous in a foreign land.

With every album since his stark, downbeat 1998 debut, "Dressed Up Like Nebraska," there has been a flirtation with carefree, relaxed pop music. This flirtation finds its culmination in "Substitulo" with songs such as "Looks Like Love," "His Majesty Rides" and "Summertime," eschewing past downer folk tendencies for Latin-inflected soul, pop and bossanova.

Longtime fans need not worry that all these upbeat meditations have diluted Rouse's songwriting chops. While not as cohesive an album as 2001's "Under Cold Blue Stars," "Substitulo" contains some of Rouse's most confident, mature work to date. Think of this album as more of a sketchbook, or, say, a friend's travel journal spinning tales of journeys both personal and universal. It's just nice he let's us read it.

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