The greatest compliment you can pay Josh Ritter’s new album almost sounds like a slight. It is hard to listen to — so honest, so raw that his pain nearly becomes your own.

“The Beast in Its Tracks” was born out of the heartache Ritter endured after the dissolution of his marriage to fellow singer-songwriter Dawn Landes. He details its demise and its aftermath through 13 songs that confront the many shades of love, from splendor to ugliness.