Whilst his self-deprecating lyrics might peg Ryley as a halfwit or a wise ass, listening to this record it is hard to see him as anything other than a star in the making. Best of all is The Roundabout, probably one of the most understated singles of the year atop a bed of fluid guitar work, rolling bass and muted electronics, Ryley channels his inner Sixto Rodriguez as he lays to tape a tale of returning home from the road, drunken conversations with old friends and bad credit in your favourite bar. The hypnotic guitar work of The Halfwit In Me, the jazz-tinged percussion of Funny Thing She Said, this record sounds like a prodigious talent comfortable in the niche he has carved for himself. Musically too, Golden Sings is a record that feels more confident and ambitious. With the imagery of dive bars, friendships and the difficulty of being away from the world you know, Golden Sings That Have Been Sung feels like Ryley’s most honest work to date. Moving away from the plaintive and sometimes pastoral imagery, this record seems to tap into the reality of Ryley’s life and his native Chicago. That all changed with this year’s offering, Golden Sings That Have Been Sung. Perhaps more than any other song on the record, the somnambulant sun-dappled intimacies of opening track 'The Halfwit In Me' most audibly bear the imprint of Ryley's improvisational sessions with Wilco multi-instrumentalist, Chicagoan and producer Leroy Bach, while 'Funny Thing She Said' is an unflinching study of separation set to a. While his previous output had unquestionably alerted the world to the musical talents of Ryley Walker, what they arguably lacked was enough of the man behind the music.
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