A dull black and white picture of a winter scene graces the sleeve of this release from Glasgow based singer songwriter Traite Walker. It suggests a collection of relentlessly downbeat songs but is that the case?
Fortunately, first impressions are wrong this time around. Make no mistake, this EP is made up of serious songs and there's absolutely nothing flighty or trivial about them. Likewise there is nothing lightweight in their delivery. "The Hungry Line" shows a standard of guitar picking well above what you would expect of a singe songwriter form this part of the world with the vocals distant and swathed in reverb almost as if to protect us from the reality the lyrics portray. A similar intensity is evident in "Mea Culpa" as it drifts in the shadows of a troubled soul while "Down That Lonely Road" takes a walk down the street empty of everything but your thoughts.
Standing tall in the fight against musical mediocrity, Traite Walker has made his mark here. Let down by the sub standard recording quality, these four songs are a clear indication of what he is capable of. He's certainly not a lightweight - make no mistake about that.