Golden Sings That Have Been Sung manages to catch the restlessly churning, improvisatory lightning of Walker's live shows in the studio, whilst wisely cutting out any idling that could grate in home listening.
Set aside all of ‘Primrose Green’’s whimsy strains, Walker has finally blossomed into the mature and talented songwriter he is today, putting together eight almost flawless tracks of solid and structured folk.
Golden Sings That Have Been Sung is a personal best for Walker, innovation for the genre and in general, just a damn good listen.
If it sometimes felt as if Walker felt the need to imitate his heroes, here he seems to have better assimilated the information he needs, trusting his own instincts and his own sound, as well as drawing from a wider range of sources.
This time around, he's also extending his reach as a composer, and successfully complicating his relationship with vintage Brit folk.
On one level, Golden Sings That Have Been Sung delivers the most advanced music Walker's released to date. That said, despite his growing confidence and excellent production and arrangements, the singing and lyric writing still need work.
Elegantly composed and immaculately constructed, these are songs that conjure up more than an image of an open field awaiting a lover’s passage or a cityscape laden with crushed spirits; they conjure up a picture of a vibrant mind with an old soul.
Pivoting genres is no easy feat, and growing pains are expected and present. His knack for precision and developing lush arrangements on these eight songs proves that he’s more than up to the task.
The first song on guitar wunderkind Ryley Walker’s fourth album might be the best thing he’s ever done. Then there are the other seven songs.
Ryley Walker’s third album opens with one of the best songs of the year ... It sets the bar high for the rest of the album, which never manages to reach that level of invention.
Sullen Mind is one of my favourite songs on this album. Coming from the former Primrose Green it may take some patience to see the strength of Ryle's new work. Absolutely great!
A little disappointing when compared to his last couple albums. His guitar virtuosity is a little muted by overproduction and too much electric guitar. Some strong moments here though, including the halfwit in me and the roundabout.
#5 | / | Uncut |
#11 | / | God Is In The TV |
#21 | / | MOJO |
#29 | / | Piccadilly Records |
#29 | / | Rough Trade |
#53 | / | Fopp |