7/13/2023 0 Comments Ryley walker primrose greenThings start to pick up for young Walker when he moves to Chicago in 2007 and briefly attempts a collegiate lifestyle as he storms the always fecund local noise scene with his Jasmine-brand electric guitar just a cheap knock-off from which he could coax unearthly sound hallucinations. Raised on the banks of the ol’ Rock River in northern Illinois, Ryley’s early life doesn’t give us much more than Midwestern mundanity to speak of. His personal life might be tumultuous and his residential status in question, but his bedrock is disciplined daily rehearsal and an inexhaustible wellspring of songcraft. Swap out rural juke joints for rotted DIY spaces and the archetype is solidly intact. That’s as much a testament to his roving, rambling ways, or the fact that his Guild D-35 guitar has endured a few stints in the pawnshop. 3.Ryley Walker is the reincarnation of the true American guitar player. ![]() No, retro folk music isn't currently in style in Chicago or anywhere, but the wonderfully loose, captivating "Primrose Green" shows Walker is comfortable carving out his own niche. His booming voice channels Buckley's pristine warble (see the ridiculous range he displays on "Same Minds"), and his many ad-libs and vocalizations emulate Morrison's charismatic band-leading. Make no mistake, Ryley Walker is the full package. ![]() The lyrics-touching on earthy and often-abstract subjects British folk singers tend to emphasize-aren't as strong as the music but don't weaken the overall product. Walker's a commanding guitarist, expertly fingerpicking and weaving 12-string acoustic chords throughout his music, specifically on the ambling, rustic instrumental "Griffiths Bucks Blues" or on the frenzied rush of intensity "Sweet Satisfaction," the album's standout track and one of the best folk songs of the year. A prominent upright bass line opens the sprawling "Summer Dress," which eventually swells in volume to a blissful instrumental freakout. Like a modern take on Morrison's "Astral Weeks," the opening title track starts off with a pastoral acoustic riff before spiraling into a vibrant, '60s-inspired folk song. The result is expansive, inviting and layered. Where the breezy, often-downbeat folk offerings on his 2014 album "All Kinds Of You" showcased his prowess with the acoustic guitar, "Primrose Green" is a more collaborative effort thanks to contributions from local jazz and experimental talent including guitarist Brian Sulpizio, pianist Ben Boye, drummer Frank Rosaly, and many more. These aren't the usual touchstones for an artist in his mid-20s (aren't younger folkies just supposed to name-drop Bob Dylan and move on?) Walker's sophisticated taste and astounding execution suggest a musician with experience and wisdom beyond his years. On his stellar new album "Primrose Green," the songs constantly shift, buoyed by Walker's crate-digging love for genre-bending acts like Tim Buckley, Van Morrison, Fairport Convention and John Fahey, not to mention a few relatively obscure others. Rather than specializing in earnest, preciously strummed songs with copious amounts of banjo, the 25-year-old, Rockford-born singer-songwriter plays music that unfolds like freewheeling jazz-with the energy and abandon of punk rock. ![]() Fortunately, that's not the case with Ryley Walker. ![]() These days, the term "young folk artist" typically implies mountain-man affectations and cute ukuleles.
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