Seth Walker himself did the painting that adorns the front cover of his new album Are You Open? but the gaze in that portrait is no less piercing than that of the artist in the photograph on the back. Or much less insinuating than the music inside, the main approach of which is so understated that, while it may not suit music lovers inclined to listen for only primary colors, will no doubt entice any listener who can appreciate its understated honesty.
Multi-instrumentalist and producer Jano Rix’ name deserves to appear just below the artist’s in the list of musician credits on this Royal Potato Family title. The erstwhile Wood Brother’s playing and singing is integral to the spacious, inviting sound flowing from the very first track here: “Giving It All Away” sounds like the most cohesive segment of an extended improvisation, for which Walker subsequently wrote the lyrics (reproduced with all the words on an insert in the package also adorned with an eye-catching painting).
The ambiance of that cut bears no little resemblance to the sound of reggae-based “All I Need to Know,” its infectious rhythms illuminated a glowing electric piano at its fade. There’s a readily-discernible similarity between Seth Walker’s rootsy style and that of the Wood siblings (with whom he toured in 2016), but the proportions of folk, rock, r&b and other influences are generally different and simplified in his music, as demonstrated by the purity of this acoustic-based title song.
It’s a testament to the skill with which this record was assembled that what’s essentially a solo number, like that track and “Something To Hold,” fit logically into this roughly half-hour song sequence. The ensemble dynamic radiating from “Hard Road,” is also indicative of the natural logic within the ten tracks. Likewise, the cut with which it’s juxtaposed, “No Bird,” where horns interlock with the rest of the musicians’ playing, generates momentum that furthers the cumulative force of Are You Open?
Still, the impact running order wouldn’t matter much if the original material didn’t hold up under initial scrutiny and repeated listenings. Seth Walker’s honed his composing skills so that words and music are virtually inextricable from each other and, in turn, the performances, as Rix oversaw them for this studio effort. As a result, a seamless quality permeates this record so that, on a selection such as “Underdog,” instruments and vocals are not only tightly interwoven, but also laced with an element of spontaneity that not enlivens this cut but those surrounding it.
Throughout Are You Open? there is never a sense the participants are being too careful to get things ‘just right’ And that’s even with discernible attention to detail on display throughout, right down to the engineering (by Walker himself along with Rix), mixing (by Mike Poole and Brandon Bell) and mastering (by Eric Conn). As with the graphics of the digi-pak, all those nuances compel close attention and provide ample reward for the concentration.
