Seth Walker at the Cannery Ballroom

Born and raised in North Carolina, Walker now calls Austin his home. Walker's newest batch, Leap of Faith, is a more pop-oriented effort than his earlier honky-tonk and blues-derived recordings. Taking his cues from Chicago and Memphis blues (and not a little Rat Pack lasciviousness), Walker has fine-tuned his writing and playing where traditional blues lovers as well as contemporary roots rockers can feel at home, not unlike Van Morrison or Mose Allison. Piano-peppered ballads and blues licks are de rigueur, and, what's more, Walker has added bits of cool crooning to his toasting vocal style. It all works fairly well; indeed, it's a wonder why the guy doesn't sell more records. Sure, he's no Junior Kimbrough or Juke Boy Bonner, but he seems tailor-made for the NPstaRbucks crowd—an artist who pushes the boundaries of his music, but to his listeners' relief always makes it back home safely.
Wed., Sept. 16, 8 p.m., 2009