Seth Walker – Sky Still Blue (Royal Potato Family) review

Give this one a couple of listens – you won’t be disappointed

With his eighth album, Sky Still Blue, Seth Walker keeps getting better and better.  Like a master chef, he’s perfected the perfect blend in his music.  Rooted in the blues, yet never losing hope – his music is surprisingly positive for the genre.  There’s also a heavy dose of soul here, and everything he does has an understated rhythm, making it great as both dinner music and for those spontaneous moments of swaying in the kitchen.

A lot of his music is about making the best out of a lousy situation, like the gospel-infused “Grab a Hold. ” Even when he’s pining for a girl, as in “Easy Come Easy Go,” the situation doesn’t sound hopeless.

He’s upped the grit in his guitar a little, just to give tracks like “Trouble (Don’t Want No)” the teeth they need.

He continues to keep great company when it comes to songwriting – the great Gary Nicholson teams for the aforementioned “Trouble” and “Another Day,” while guitarist Oliver Wood is his partner for five of the album’s tracks.  The songwriting is so well crafted, you’d swear you’ve heard many of these before, as in the cautionary “Tomorrow,” which could pass for a lost Tin Pan Alley track.  “For a Moment There” is powered by an incredibly slinky, Stax-inspired guitar.

Walker’s biggest asset is his ability to write killer love ballads.  “All This Love” was the highlight from his last record (read our review here).  This album’s example is “Way Too Far” – it’s goosebumps good, kind of an Otis Redding-meets-Van Morrison vibe in its seductive quality, as he pleads for his lover to stick it out.

Seth Walker’s music may not hit you right away, it has a relaxed quality that takes a few listens to sink in.  Yet, when it does, it will keep you coming back for more. —Tony Peters