Bradley Walker has been singing
country music since his toddlerhood, and throughout his youth he performed in a variety of
country and
bluegrass bands. His debut as a solo artist finds him joined by a rather awe-inspiring array of guest artists who include
Rhonda Vincent,
Vince Gill, rising star
Alecia Nugent, producer
Carl Jackson and many other
bluegrass and
traditional country luminaries, and performing songs in that sort of mostly-acoustic-and-bluegrassy-but-with-drums style that is becoming increasingly popular. What's significant about this album is not the fact that
Walker was born with muscular dystrophy and performs from a wheelchair, but that he sings like a cross between
George Jones and
Brad Paisley, in a warm, rich baritone voice that alternately nails and caresses the notes he sings. Traditionalism cuts both ways, of course: one of
country music's great traditions is the marriage of sweet, hooky melodies with stomping
honky tonk grooves, and
Walker celebrates that tradition on such gems as the especially
Jones-esque
"When I'm Hurtin'" and the gorgeous
"Lost at Sea." Unfortunately, there are some other
country music traditions that are less worth celebrating, and those are celebrated here as well: the well-established tradition of overly cute wordplay, often expressed in a
gospel context (
"A Little Change") and that of stupefyingly maudlin tearjerker lyrics, again often expressed in a
gospel context (
"We Know Where He Is"). If
Walker's voice weren't so spectacular, songs like these would be unbearable. But most of the album showcases a perfect fit between his exquisite singing, the expert accompaniment of his session players, and thoroughly enjoyable
honky tonk-
bluegrass songs. Highly recommended. ~ Rick Anderson
