The Walkaways: Romance and Medicine

The Walkaways
Romance and Medicine
Self-released

At their best, the Walkaways tap that some wistful roots/folk/country vibe as the Band, and to similar effect, creating a sense that one is hearing songs that have been around for a while. In part this is due to the subject matter, which tends toward wistfulness and regret — just look at songs titles like “I Should Have Known”, “Ghost of a Man”, “Down” and “No Way Out” — with plenty of gruff vocals, slower tempos and lush instrumentation featuring primarily acoustic instruments and a fair amount of electric guitar twang. What saves the record from being an exercise in maudlin excess is that the melodies are pleasing and there’s enough energy in the performances — plus a few uptempo tunes — to carry the listener through without getting bogged down into slowcore silliness. This isn’t exactly an uplifting album, but it is in some ways a cathartic one.

RATING 7 / 10