Primrose Green
by Ryley Walker
User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 16 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
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  1. petebee
    Apr 18, 2015
    9
    A wonderful, well-executed, mellifluous blend of folky jazz-rock, with deft and virtuoso guitar (and other instruments) play throughout, and a voice that bypasses the ears and heads straight for the soul.

    Scintillating echoes of Tim Buckley, Jon Martyn and Nick Drake; a potent combination indeed. And to say Walker's an equal to each and any of them is no overstatement. This man has got    A wonderful, well-executed, mellifluous blend of folky jazz-rock, with deft and virtuoso guitar (and other instruments) play throughout, and a voice that bypasses the ears and heads straight for the soul.

    Scintillating echoes of Tim Buckley, Jon Martyn and Nick Drake; a potent combination indeed. And to say Walker's an equal to each and any of them is no overstatement. This man has got some serious talent, and combined with the lo-fi, pin-sharp production, it an album that grabs you deep straightaway. You’ll stick it on and be halfway through the third replay before you realise two hours have whirled by in a dreamy, 60s haze

    Really glorious stuff.

    9/10    … Expand
  2. finners_99
    May 10, 2015
    8
    From the album's cover homage to Astral Weeks, to the Nick Drake style delivery and echoes of Buckley and John Martyn, this is throwback; derivation; and a thrilling contemporary update on the genre. I keep coming back to its live-like organic feel.
  3. Custom_Concerns
    May 3, 2015
    7
    Though Primrose Green is more successful in its production, aesthetic, and instrumentation than it is in its songwriting, the record proves itself a must listen for 2015 and cements Ryley Walker as an artist we should all keep our eye on.

Awards & Rankings

73
#73 Best Album of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
83

Universal acclaim - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 19
  3. Negative: 0 out of 19
  1. NOW Magazine
    Jun 18, 2015
    60
    Instrumentally, Primrose Green is an engaging listen, but Walker the singer only comes through a few times.
    Read full review
  2. Under The Radar
    Apr 17, 2015
    75
    While the depth of this 20-something often-improvised lyrics doesn't yet match the force of his baritone growls and purrs, the record gains emotional resonance from Walker's uncanny knack for summoning the specters of tragic folk figures. [Apr - May 2015, p.88]
  3. Blurt Magazine
    Apr 3, 2015
    80
    Working with a cast of Chicago jazz, improv and experimental luminaries and newcomers, Walker casts a most enchanting spell on Primrose Green, and while it may reflect his influences more than spell out his vision, the love he bears for those influences comes through in every plucked and sung note.
    Read full review
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