Twelve years ago Josh Ritter brought us Midwestern joy and hope via his first proper album, Golden Age, which spelled victory for the middle and their (mostly) unsung heroes.   We have held onto that hope for the middle since.  But good times come and go, and lives move on.  It turns out that during these ‘tween times, Josh Ritter recently went through departure and divorce.  Thus, as you might imagine, Ritter’s new album The Beast In Its Tracks is divorce- and aftermath-centric.  Even though we’ve awaited the new album, we hadn’t until, now  heard a lot to cling to.  But then we happened upon his performance on KCRW today of song Hopeful (that would be the post-aftermath/reconciliation stage of divorce matters, but as a best case).  And we became hopeful once again (about Ritter, humans, et. al).  Check it out below.  And, as always, do your best to be that way.