Course in Fable
by Ryley Walker
Metascore
84

Universal acclaim - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. The Line of Best Fit
    Apr 1, 2021
    90
    With the totally triumphant Course In Fable, Walker has devised the ultimate two finger salute to anyone who has ever pinned him down as an artist chained to vintage inspirations: this exciting, moving, beautiful and complex album sounds only and exclusively like Ryley Walker music. Listen to it with the attention it so richly deserves, and rewards.
  2. Uncut
    Apr 1, 2021
    90
    It's a short, ineluctably lovely set, light, bright and often dizzyingly joyful, but also thrillingly unpredictable, with complex, jazzy arrangements against which Walker's phasing gently pushes and pulls. [May 2021, p.16]
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  3. Dusted Magazine
    Apr 23, 2021
    80
    Having the backstory on Walker’s path to sobriety isn’t necessary to appreciate Course In Fable. There’s enough allure in Walker and guitarist Bill MacKay’s elaborate latticework of glazed melodies and modal chords that call to mind McEntire’s other band The Sea and Cake, and how drummer Ryan Jewell floats through it all with loose, jazzy flourishes.
  5. DIY Magazine
    Apr 6, 2021
    80
    In and out of the studio, Ryley Walker has been one of indie rock’s more colourful characters for a while now; ‘Course in Fable’ only reinforces that view.
  6. AllMusic
    Apr 2, 2021
    80
    Walker may tip his hat to Chicago's experimental underground or prog behemoths like Genesis, but with this release, he's very much his own man.
  7. Mojo
    Apr 1, 2021
    80
    It flits between rigorous, tricksy composition and kinetic improv. [May 2021, p.78]
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  8. Clash Music
    Apr 1, 2021
    80
    Ryley Walker’s approach strips back well-worn truths, to reveal something startling underneath.
  9. Beats Per Minute
    Apr 7, 2021
    76
    For such a prolific, genre-blurring artist, we are lucky as listeners that all the pieces Ryley Walker’s set up over the past decade could coalesce in such a fine, tight 40 minutes.
  10. Pitchfork
    Apr 7, 2021
    76
    Course in Fable bears the ripe fruit of this impulse, cohering into the most impressive of many surprising recent triumphs from an artist who’s faced down oblivion and has emerged more inspired than ever.
  11. Under The Radar
    Apr 2, 2021
    70
    Overall, Walker’s fifth solo effort is a perfectly imperfect package with significant potential and just enough expanse to keep things interesting.

Awards & Rankings

66
#66 Best Album of 2021

User Reviews

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User Score
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User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. Doxxman5
    May 29, 2021
    10
    the last song, "Shiva with Dustpan", is the catchiest and should probably be listed to first for anyone who is not prepared for the manythe last song, "Shiva with Dustpan", is the catchiest and should probably be listed to first for anyone who is not prepared for the many detours Walker takes in his beautiful songs. Its worth saying, the whole album is amazing and deserves multiple listens to decipher. Archer Prewiit meets Built to Spill, songs within songs there is a correlation in rock n roll for sure between artists like this.… Full Review »
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