For Walker, it’s about breathing life back into ’60s folk until it bursts with springtime charm, and Primrose Green is 2015’s ultimate encompassment of that sound.
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.
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 indulgent.
Primrose Green performs an impressive double stunt in better showcasing both his songwriting and singing on one hand, and his ambition to create something looser, freer and more spontaneous on the other.
Retro is the word.
Hell more than that derivative is the word.
This does not equate to a 'bad' thing in the slightest in this instance though - in actual fact this is a sublime listen showing great artistry despite cribbing from many, oh so many, ‘70s folk and soft rock touchstones.
#4 | / | Uncut |
#13 | / | Norman Records |
#19 | / | Piccadilly Records |
#27 | / | Rough Trade |
#44 | / | MOJO |
#52 | / | PopMatters |
#56 | / | Drowned in Sound |
#100 | / | Under the Radar |