Micah Walk - Among The Stars
If Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers had a musical orgy with Ryan Adams and (insert random country band here), they would surely produce Micah Walk, a less strained vocalist than Petty with less warble than Adams. Now take that sound and throw it into a global pandemic full of isolation and introspection and you get Walk’s latest album, ‘Among The Stars’.
The whole album kicks off with a shot ‘In The Dark’ at what ends up sounding like a pretty iconic Heartbreakers-esque intro but leads to something unique in spite of all the comparisons that could be constantly made between this musician or that. Upbeat and loving, this opener is guaranteed to draw a crowd. The alt/country harmonies and the full-band sound is just made to be a crowd-pleaser, which I’m sure Walk looks forward to starting shows with when gigs become safer and more frequent.
‘Stay With Me’ here, but we immediately switch gears on the album to a rather sombre number that seems to be almost the exact opposite of the previous track. Having already confirmed that he won’t leave you ‘In The Dark’, Walk pleads “‘Stay With Me’ now”. The classic organ, embedded in the composition with the rim hits, though part of a greater and clearly modern track, really pulls the listener back to the 70s where it seemed rim hits, organs and 12-string guitars were the mainstays. If the keys and backing vocals weren’t the way they were on this track, I would immediately think this one came from fifty years ago, easily.
I have to say that this would be a great song to just sit out and look ‘Among The Stars’. The synthetic nature of the main hook and keytar solo really brings a cosmic sense to the song and its reflective and brilliant lyrics are perfect for gazing up and realizing just how insignificant not just we are but also the ridiculous things so many of us care about for seemingly no good reason. “Here is a brochure on collective destiny; please read the pages on love and empathy”…I fucking love this line! The track is full of goodies, but if we could only just all get the brochure on how we’re stuck together on this fatal rollercoaster ride, like it or not, and if we could just figure out how to express love and engage in empathy…this isn’t a new concept, I just love the way Walk phrases it, ok?
After the reflection of the last track, you might be inclined to feel one or more ‘Shades of Blue’, and I honestly wouldn’t blame you when coming to this track. It is a heartbreaking acoustic tune from open to close. The notion of just “getting used to the pain” is unbearably true, it seems. The hint of alcohol abuse with “always something on [his] breath. Like desperation needs more evidence”. Beautifully tragic. Even the broken-up guitar solo and harrowing harmonies do nothing but weigh down the listener with a big dose of reality.
If you ever thought you were 'the ‘Last of Your Kind’ then don’t worry: Walk has thought something similar. A lesson to be learned long ago, running on empty, mouth dry, shouting right to the end, ‘In The Dark’, choosing to be alive…this is a very solemn country tune that has a bleak yet uplifting message.
Alright, I have to give up the ghost on this track. I’m not sure how to work in ‘Supernatural Disasters’…oh wait, I just mentioned ghosts! This track will instantly kick your spirits (pun intended) back up from the last few tracks, almost literally. It starts in hard and doesn’t let up the whole way through. I love the way in which Walk incorporates the universe surrounding us, acknowledging that we’re not the only thing in space. Having a dust storm in Mars named after him might sound full of whimsy, but I love that lack of fucks to give when it comes to not-so-subtly telling his listeners that we are so small but still full of grandeur, somehow.
Given the way the global economy has been going, I bet you could get this album for ‘Pennies on the Dollar’ (except in Canada since we’ve discontinued pennies). What an uplifting track about being flat broke, in spite of how much work one might put in. This rings true for so many people. Who wouldn’t rather just accept fate, head to the pub for a few drinks with the last few bucks in pockets before the bank just takes everything you can’t pay for anyway? Oh, I also love that he shouts out CCR. Not enough people listen to them these days, it seems to me!
I must say that Micah Walk has certainly sung a good deal of this album with a certain amount of ‘Grace’. Now, I’m not the biggest country fan (I think because it was forced upon me every morning when I was growing up), and I have to say that this is certainly the most stereotypical country tune on the whole album, to me. It opens with a heartfelt piano and the twangy guitar isn’t far behind. Given that it’s called ‘Grace’, I expected a hard devotion to some construction of some sort of god here. Equipped with a fairly standard country solo and beat as well, the track did, thankfully, give a bit more of a message than “praise Jesus”. A number of great lessons are dished out in this tune, for sure, which may very well be attributed to some religious teaching or other, but the simplicity of the message, aside from the struggle of defining ‘Grace’ is pretty solid and appreciated all the same.
I love the guitar on this track. I think that Walk could ‘Fire Away’ with pretty much any sombre acoustic lick and I would be ready to listen. Never mind the potency of his lyrics. Strong all the way through the album, this song certainly does not disappoint. I love that this track says, very calmly, “‘Fire Away’ if you have questions”. I sincerely hope that Walk is opening this invitation to his listeners. Ready to “clarify all [our] assumptions”, I really would love to dig down and interview Walk about his lyrics and their meaning. Apparently, he’s not very hard to find! I really do think that we should take his advice…”Don’t shy away from looking for answers”.
“What does it really mean to be good? How can we ever know?” I love the subsequent dig at the Bible on this track as if we should simply accept what is good or bad based on one source. Seeking answers is truly important, and Walk is not afraid to be on the lookout. The thought that one must be “High On The High Road” is wonderful. The notion that someone who thinks they are better than others is simply ludicrous is both wonderful and true. Not breaking news, but we are all just people. We are all different but that really does make us all the same. Claiming moral or spiritual high ground is just absurd, especially when using the “good book” to do so. Even judging by that standard, we aren’t allowed to judge, and we are all sinners anyway. I recall a tale about a camel and the eye of a needle. Regardless of my musings about the incredible contradictions in certain dogmas and moral teachings, Walk sums it up pretty quickly…”If you’re on the high road, then you must be high”.
All said and done, this is a surprising and great album. Shades of classic rock and country mixed with synthetic accents, an alternative quality and fantastically reflective and poignant lyrics really make ‘Among The Stars’ a stellar melange of music. If you haven’t already started listening to it while reading the review then go on…get out of here…Go listen to the album…and maybe do some stargazing while you’re at it!
Get the whole album right HERE!
