AWALK releases first single ‘Light’, premiers in Lexus advert, debut album to follow.

AWALK, musical polyglot and capricious composer, finds himself at the center of his debut album, equipped with the delicate control of someone who possesses a birds-eye view of the machinations that make up pop music construction.  After some creative fits, starts, and outright blazes over the recent years, the artistic vision has refined and sharpened to a laser focus, delivering us an entirely fresh new take on American music.  

Once a promising young classical guitarist, a finalist in multiple competitions both domestic and international, a student who sought the world’s premier guitarists for lessons and insight, Walker slowly grew disillusioned with the art-for-sport, cut throat nature of that world.  In addition to learning the acrobatic-show-stopper guitar pieces that were ubiquitous and mandatory staples of any young classical guitarist’s repertoire, he also composed music which left even less time to put into the intense conditioning and training demanded of the world-class instrumental soloist set.

His passion and knack for writing music led him to NYC composing for several cartoons such as Yu Gi Oh GX, TMNT, GI JOE etc. Flash forward to 2021 and he’s composing for luxury brands such as Lexus (where his debut single ‘Light’ premieres on November 8) and Ritz Carlton. Film scoring is yet another avenue for Walker, recently having scored COAST (2021), with Grouplove’s Christian Zucconi and Hannah Hooper. Interestingly, Walker is credited as a co-writer on the single ‘Expectations’ from the Grouplove 2020 Atlantic Records LP Healer.

AWALK’s music is aplomb. A melange, taking charge in several different musical situations.  The drums and rhythm of the album highlight the feeling of the nylon string guitar, wielded by a commanding troubadour.  In ‘Light’,  we get a sense of where this new style leads to.  The crushing bass drums and exalted classical guitar create a bedrock for melodies that carry lyrics like

“Have you ever been so humbled by our nature in your life?                                      

If the answer’s no then lets ride, I don’t wanna but I’ll teach you.”

The protagonist asks us about our own relationship with the sublime, nature, the wonder of it all, the expanse.  Our salty narrator offers help, begrudgingly.  Maybe this dialogue that AWALK has so expertly turned into song are a series of questions that we all must ask ourselves at some point, checking in with our internal voice, making sure that we take it all in while we’re here.

The resulting sonics of the record are particularly unique. There lies a heavy electronic undercurrent while the classical guitar is prominently featured. The vocals are bright, spritely, and poignant. Electric guitars memorably zip along. This is a pop album.

With a worldwide album release next month and the single ‘Light’ to be premiering in the new Lexus Hybrid commercial, AWALK is poised to be an art-pop torch bearer, bending convention to suit his paradoxical vision.