New York based singer/songwriter/guitarist Ryley Walker follows-up 2019’s Little Common Twist with his fifth solo album Course in Fable which is filled with jazz guitar and prog rock that builds complexity with each track. Cleverly and with humorous detail Walker channels some of his musical heroes (Bert Jansch, Nick Drake, John Martyn, Tim Buckley, Van Morrison), highlighting his love for music while mocking himself. Course in Fable was recorded in just three days at Hallowed Hall Studios in Portland, Oregon with production from John McEntire (Tortoise, the Sea and the Cake) and Walker’s band which includes acclaimed guitarist and composer Bill MacKay (guitar), bassist Andrew Scott Young, and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Jewell (drums, percussion). Standout tracks include: the dazzling opener “Striking Down Your Big Premiere”; the circular folk song “Rang Dizzy”; the dissonant number “Axis Bent”; the floating jazz-folk mash-up “Clad With Bunk”; the swirling jazz track “Pond Scum Ocean”; the rambling prog rock-tinged “A Lenticular Slap”; and the luminous closing track “Shiva With Dustpan.” Ryley Walker’s Course in Fable is a great set of bright and often dizzyingly tracks that are thrillingly unpredictable and filled with complex jazzy and prog rock arrangements. With this album Walker’s music is venturing beyond his Chicago roots toward the terrain of his heroes and exciting new horizons all his own. – Written by JFelton
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