I just discovered Ryley Walker

I just discovered Ryley Walker! He held a concert in my hometown of Skopje last night and I wasn’t there because I didn’t have a clue who Ryley Walker is. But now I know! A friend of mine who went there to take make some photos saw me today and told me that this guy was fantastic. An absolute magician with his acoustic guitar, he said, you have to give it a listen. Later he sent me this live performance at the KEXP studio, recorded June 8, 2015. It’s truly wonderful - great singing from the soul, gentle guitars and lots of blues. To me it sounds like Tim Buckley and Robert Plant jamming together. Oh no, Ryley Walker doesn’t sound like any of the above, but his interpretation of folk and blues feels so much older (read: mature) than this excellent musician and songwriter actually is.

Walker began his career in Chicago's independent music scene after moving there in the early 2010s, releasing several EPs. In 2014 he released his debut album for the Tompkins Square label and followed it in 2015 with “Primrose Green” released on Dead Oceans. Some critic  described his music as fingerstyle ballads, psychedelic waltzes and raga-inspired blues. Personally, I don’t like labeling and genre classifications, especially not in this era of melting styles, but this sounded kind of fun.

Let’s not forget the double-bass player accompanying Walker. If I caught his name right, it is Andrew Scott Young, who is doing a hell of a good job following Ryley’s mood and dynamics throughout this five-song radio concert. Enjoy!