Most people by now have heard the hit single Mixtape which is a great mellow rocker with a great love song twist. This is a great song that showcases the song writing and the creative lyricist hidden under that long greasy hair. Mellow, moody and a great mid-song transition that somehow seamlessly moves from smooth chorus to rappy bridge and back again, Mixtape is a good introduction to Walker and his style. To understand and appreciate his talent you must dig deeper though and spend some time in his company.
The song "Joan" is an intimate portrait of a complex woman. Her life is viewed through the lyrics of Walker and it's touching piano soundtrack that continues to paint a picture for the listener. You almost feel as if you know this woman and that is the ultimate task for a singer songwriter. Butch hits the nail on the head as he sings about feeling guilty as he looks through the woman's personal belongings...
"I spotted a box I had not seen before
with all kinds of letters that never got sent
to a guy in Colorado since 1994
and I know its wrong but I sat and opened
in no certain order a letter or two
she talked about blisters and later said that she had to get out
but I couldn't make out the rest of the note
from the blood stains all over..."
Not to lead you to believe that this is a depressing mellow drama of an album — It's not. The majority of the album is upbeat, diverse and fun.
"Uncomfortably Numb" is another vivid painting for me. I just picture someone with headphones riding in a taxi on their way to the airport getting ready to leave L.A. as their weary mind repeats "Gotta get out of Los Angeles, so blind I can't see, gotta get Los Angeles out of me." The guitar riff rages on as the meeter chugs away.
Article comments
1 - Temple Stark
Yensid,
I threw this up on Advance.net.
If you are committed to good "first draft" you might want to look over the copy on Advance.net and see the small changes - and sometimes big changes. The big changes are almost always done for space, however. NB: I'm posting this message to all reviews, not singling you out at all. :-)
See?