You have most likely read about Peter Walker here on the Tripwire before. We were familiar with his previous album, Landed, but really didn’t hop on his bandwagon until seeing him perform in NYC this past fall. During that show he debuted his new material, which is now available on his sophomore album, Young Gravity. For his new batch of tunes, Walker hit the studio with Jim Fairchild (Grandaddy) and Aaron Espinoza (Earlimart) to record a collection of songs that have a real lived-in charm. His throaty vocals add such an element of honesty to his songs of love and despair. While his material has much lyrical depth, he packages them up in great pop-rock arrangements such as the toe tapping opener “What Do I Know.” Up next is one of the album’s highlights, “39 Stars”, where his scruffy vocals soar through the heartfelt chorus of loss mixed with spiritual uplift. It is a very powerful piece of rock that fans of Neil Young and Wilco should definitely check out. The title track is another favorite, featuring some of the best melodic lines on this album. Even though Young Gravity does shift stylistically from song to song, at times reminding me of fellow singer-songwriters Joseph Arthur and even Sean Lennon, Walker’s musicianship and lyrical talent gives the songs the consistency they need to make this a complete body of work. If you need more proof, check out the Tom Petty flavored “Talk To You”, which in an ideal world would be a smash hit. Unlike most of the manufactured, heartless rubbish that clogs up the radio waves and other media outlets, Peter Walker is the real deal.

Peter Walker
Dangerbird Records

1. Peter Walker To Release Young Gravity Next Spring
2. Gravity Works Fire Burns
3. Peter Walker Hits The Road With Earlimart, Sondre Lerche
4. Old 97’s Return With Blame It On Gravity
5. Jerry Cantrell Hates Falling, Gets Mad At Gravity