![]() ![]() The shape of Walker’s voice and the twists and turns of his band reanimate a specific aesthetic without adding much more than the tools of modern production Walker never betrays the earthy open-heartedness that's wholly his own ![]() Had Primrose Green been recorded in the era it's influenced by, it could well be among the records Ryley Walker would now be drawing inspiration from high praise indeed Primrose Green may not be the most original of statements, but it definitely amounts to more than the sum of its parts and there is the lingering impression that Walker is only just getting started He’s only in his mid-twenties, but he has an uncanny feel for the triangulation of folk, jazz and blues that came from the fleet fingers of Bert Jansch and John Fahey back in the ’60s With its ready absorption of, homage to, and engagement with the past, Walker's skills as a guitarist and arranger make Primrose Green as musically compelling as it is willfully indulgentĭerivative as it is, there’s beauty here, and something admirable in Walker’s insistence on so closely cleaving to his chosen path The Chicagoan has created such a relatable record by defining the struggle of identity through his experimental and broad songwriting This is one head cocktail that leaves no pain after it hits. For Walker, it’s about breathing life back into ’60s folk until it bursts with springtime charm He doesn’t care if you even remember his name. Whether displaying his loyalty to his muse’s roots, or gnashing his teeth at the right to snub traditions (or again, to attempt at creating new ones), Ryley Walker’s talents are enormous Primrose Green is disorientating, casting new light on modes you thought you knew wellĪ headphone trip for the ages, Primrose Green is a diaphanous tapestry that envelopes our collective musical history That’s a loss for Chicago, but Thursday night’s wonderful sets by Tortoise and Walker showed that the city’s independent music scene - where rock, jazz, country and experimental music often overlap - is as vibrant as ever.Sort by ADM rating Sort by most recent reviewĪ vital, vivid, veracious victory that will crush you like a boa constrictor until it releases you from its cheeky grasp and tickles your tummy instead And it’s uncertain how many more times we’ll get a chance to see the fantastic drummer Frank Rosaly playing with this band, as we did on Thursday I’m told that Rosaly has moved from Chicago to Europe. And it was particularly special because it offered a rare chance to see Leroy Bach - who produced the album - sitting in with the band. Walker’s set on Thursday at the Empty Bottle was a marvel. I recommend buying the deluxe 2-LP version, which adds a record containing a 41-minute live version of “Sullen Mind,” a song that is a mere 6 1/2 minutes in its studio version. ![]() Walker’s new album, Golden Sings That Have Been Sung, is terrific, but its jammy folk-rock songs only hint at how jammy the group gets in concert. Like Tortoise and other Chicago bands - like Joshua Abrams and Natural Information Society - Walker and his collaborators know how to stretch a song out, to revel in grooves, to explore a chord progression or melodic motif in ways that are hypnotic and enchanting. Ryley Walker’s music seems quite different from Tortoise at first glance, and yet, there’s some similarity, especially when he is playing live with his excellent band. The show also featured a nice opening by Homme (a duo I’d seen recently at the Pitchfork Music Festival). 25 felt like a quintessential night of live Chicago music: seeing Tortoise at Millennium Park, followed by Ryley Walker’s late concert at the Empty Bottle. Tortoise’s instrumental music resonated beautifully in the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, with the band members constantly shifting around the instruments, playing intricate patterns with almost astonishing precision.
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