Andrew Walker - Floating Shift

Tracklist

1	Charity
2	Adjala
3	Slow Turn Around
4	Land Of No Goodbyes
5	The Fence
6	Finesse
7	Old 8I
8	Seven Years
9	Sill Coming On
10	My Heart Wanders

Credits

• Bass – Tim Drummond
• Drums – Gavin Brown
• Engineer – Jeff McMurrich
• Lead Guitar – Colin Cripps, Duncan Swain (tracks: 4)
• Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar – Andrew Walker
• Steel Guitar – Kim Deschamps

Notes

"The hardest thing about this record wasn't finding the funding or recording it, but giving it a name," says Andrew Walker of his first solo CD, Floating Shift. "I didn't want to name it at all, it seemed more like a 'best of', but 'floating shift' is an ambiguous enough term to capture all the styles that have made it on to the record." Indeed, Floating Shift is an excellent name for a bunch of songs that contain elements of rock, pop, folk and altcountry that, for a change, are not disposable. These songs show Andrew's evolution from former "rock-it-out" lead man for the acclaimed alt/roots quartet, The Mummbleducks, to an insightful solo singer/songwriter.

The album itself was more a process than a project, taking a couple of years to complete and showcasing an interesting array of musicians. Not the least of the musically (and personally) interesting characters to lend their talents to Walker's foray on this solo CD was an American rock legend, himself a talented songwriter, bass player Tim Drummond. The non-musicologist types may not recognize the name, but loyal followers of Bob Dylan and Neil Young will recognize not only the name, but Drummond's signature bass style. Canadian musicians who backed Andrew on the album include guitarist Colin Cripps (JunkHouse, Jim Cuddy Band), drummer Gavin Brown (Big Sugar) and pedal steel guitarist Kim Deschamps (Cowboy Junkies, Blue Rodeo, Los Lobos).

Floating Shift started from one song catching the ear of Frazier Mohawk (aka Barry Friedman), expatriate American and founder of the Buffalo Springfield. One song lead to another, and soon Andrew was working with recording engineer/producer Jeff McMurrich (Danko Jones) to record a full-length album. "It's been a real treat working with Jeff," says Andrew, "he has helped me out immeasurably with my whole studio approach. In many ways he helped these recordings reflect the type of artist I am". The song which started it all was OLD 81, reminiscent of that great Canadian balladeer, Gordon Lightfoot. Based on one of the small Ontario towns which Andrew occupied in his youth, and which have occupied him ever since.

A mix of eclectic classical Americana styles have made it on to this record. From the Byrdsian/radio friendly vibe of CHARITY and the beat prosody of THE FENCE and STILL COMING ON, to the soulful twang of ADJALA. SLOW TURN AROUND and LAND OF NO GOODBYES are both rooted in the folk tradition and a song like SEVEN YEARS, on piano, reveals a personal side. Andrew writes songs of experience, mixing together words that paint, yet remain entirely accessible to the listener.

Walker learned at a young age to brave a solo performance before a crowd. Many of his teenage years were spent on a freestyle bike, or more appropriately over, above and under the bike. Andrew enjoyed the days of touring the Eastern US and Ontario on a BMX sponsorship before a temporary illness rendered him bedridden for a number of months during his last year of high school. As all things balance out, this was his opportunity to spend some time indoors, and he directed his undivided attention to learning to play guitar and devouring all the American roots music he could. Shortly afterwards, Andrew travelled the United States and Canada, floating--and shifting--from here to there, almost in a subconscious pilgrimage to all those songsters that wrote and travelled and played.

Years playing with bands did not satisfy Andrew. He was looking for more independence and artistic license to experiment with sound, words, imagery and vocal performance. His songs on this album capture the bittersweet loss of innocence and youth without ever being cliché. He recounts the pride of honest work and the circumspection brought on by a true appreciation of the North American landscape. Much of his work is layered, requiring the listener to go beyond the music, even when the tune is catchy or the melody sweet. Like a good story, the meanings are apparent, and yet hidden upon more careful listening. His strong, yet subtle vocal style enhances the experience.

There is a timeless appeal about this record. From the choice of instruments to the musicians themselves, there is a quality to this recording that is only truly appreciated when one sits down and listens to the album in its entirety. Floating Shift is a striking collection of great songs and performances from one of Canada's emerging singer/songwriters.