Seth Walker
(Hyena)
Austin-based musician Seth Walker's latest release is titled Leap of Faith, and that may be what he took to make it, leaving his Texas comfort zone and traveling to Nashville to work with veteran producer and player Gary Nicholson (with whom he co-wrote most of its tracks) and other simpatico Nashville cats who've spent time with the likes of Delbert McClinton and Lee Roy Parnell (as well as some slightly-north-of-Nashville help on electric guitar from Canadian Colin Linden). The result is a strong collection of blues, rhythm and blues, and bluesy Americana that showcases Walker's raspy voice and easy, assured singing.
"Can't Come With You" kicks things off with an R&B groove fueled by bari sax and slide guitar, and "Rewind," a tune very much in the vein of what James Hunter has been doing, quickly changes gears with a rhumba beat and a just-right touch of strings at song's end. The title track cooks with a classic electric blues sound, "I Don't Dance" is a smoldering piece of tongue-in-cheek, and "Something Fast" (with McClinton guesting on backup vocals) imports a bit of Chuck Berry. "Falling Out of Love" and "I Got a Song" slow things down for some rueful blues balladry, the latter of the uptown, brushed-snare-and-strings variety. Add a well-turned cover of Percy Mayfield's "Memory Pain" and an interesting, soulful take on Nick Lowe's "Lately I've Let Things Slide," and it's easy to conclude that Walker's leap of faith paid off.
Standout Tracks: "Rewind," "I Got a Song" STUART MUNRO
