On the Widow's Walk

On the Widow's Walk
Studio album by
The White Buffalo
ReleasedApril 17, 2020
GenreAmericana
Length42:28
LabelSnakefarm Records
ProducerShooter Jennings
The White Buffalo chronology
Darkest Darks, Lightest Lights
(2017) 		On the Widow's Walk
(2020)

On the Widow's Walk is a 2020 album written and performed by Americana singer-songwriter the White Buffalo, and produced by Shooter Jennings. It was the first album released on Snakefarm Records.[1]

Background

On the Widow's Walk is the seventh album by Oregon-born Americana artist the White Buffalo, and a follow-up to his 2017 album Darkest Darks, Lightest Lights.[2] On February 20, 2020, the single "The Rapture" was released, and the album's release date was announced. Initially, the album's release was planned to coincide with a tour of the United Kingdom, but, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the concert was instead live-streamed on April 5, 2020,[3] with the physical concert delayed first to 2021,[4] and then to 2022.[5]

Recording

After Darkest Darks, Lightest Lights, the White Buffalo claimed he was in a "dark place", and struggled to produce any new material, but after meeting Shooter Jennings, he was able to write the bulk of the album within a week and a half.[2]

I was in a weird place, I was in one of those places where I hadn't been doing shit for a while, and one of those darker places that I go to sometimes, where I'm asking all the big questions. What's my purpose? What's fucking life worth? What's the point? And [Jennings] helped me get out of that.[2]

— The White Buffalo

The recording on On the Widow's Walk was conducted in a live setting, with few retakes, a style which the White Buffalo lamented not having adopted earlier.[6]

Themes

The title of On the Widow's Walk is derived from the widow's walk, platforms placed on coastal homes, used for lookouts at sea, from which women would wait for their husbands to return from sea.[1] Traveling along the East Coast of the United States and seeing widow's walks gave the White Buffalo the idea to make a concept album about water,[7] and the way it can be connected to sorrow and destruction.[6][8] The idea of a concept album was abandoned, as he did not want to forego songs just because they did not fit the theme.[7] However, the initial motif of water remained,[6] and was placed alongside other ideas, such as technology and the loss of morality.[1] On the Widow's Walk was inspired by Desire, the White Buffalo's favorite album.[9]

"Problem Solution"

The White Buffalo described "Problem Solution" as a "song in two parts about mental states", saying "the first half, 'Problem', is about heartbreak and self-doubt when things are bleak and hopeless. The abrupt release and uplift into the second movement, 'Solution', is the answer, about living in the moment and getting through the day." Rolling Stone called it a "majestic yin-and-yang composition", and argued that the usage of piano in the song's second half was characteristic of "A Day in the Life". They went on to say the song suggested "that mental health is not some broad future goal, but an ongoing daily task".[10] A music video for "Problem Solution" was released on April 24, 2020, via Americana Highways.[11]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Americana UK9/10[1]
Exclaim!9/10[12]
Kerrang!3/5[13]
The Spill Magazine[14]

Americana UK called On the Widow's Walk a "near perfect new album from one of the great voices of the genre". They praised the quality of Shooter Jennings' production, the variety of the tracks, in particular the balance between "slower tracks and some out and out rockers", and the emotion in the White Buffalo's voice.[1] Americana UK said that the album was "exactly the sort of record we've come to expect", whereas Exclaim! argued that Jennings' production separated it from previous White Buffalo albums, with his piano adding "some much needed flavour and discourse to the overall musical conversation", and called the overall album "a celebration of raw emotions and the unbridled passion of human spirit in song".[12] AP news gave particular attention to the thematic variety of the album, comparing "No History" to the works of Bob Seger, "River of Love and Loss" to a murder ballad, and stated that "I Don't Know a Thing About Love" "closes the album with a credible exhibition of vulnerability".[15]

Kerrang! described the White Buffalo as an "interesting and eerily predictive lyricist", but were overall more critical, arguing that the album was "too introspective to actively rock".[13] On the Widow's Walk was the eighth best-selling album of 2020 on the Billboard Bluegrass Albums chart.[16]

Track listing

All tracks are written by the White Buffalo, except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Problem Solution" 4:46
2."The Drifter" 3:52
3."No History" 4:00
4."Sycamore" 3:52
5."Come On Shorty"
  • The White Buffalo
  • Rick Brantley
3:35
6."Cursive" 3:42
7."Faster Than Fire" 3:28
8."Widow's Walk" 3:59
9."River of Love and Loss" 3:55
10."The Rapture" 3:29
11."I Don't Know a Thing About Love" 3:50
Total length:42:28

Personnel

  • The White Buffalo – writing, vocals[8]
  • Shooter Jennings – piano and keys, producer
  • Matt Lynott – drums, percussion
  • Christopher Hoffee – electric and bass guitar
  • Ted Russell Kamp – bass
  • John Schreffler Jr. – guitar
  • Mark Rains – sound engineer[17]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Bayles, Rick (2020-04-15). "The White Buffalo On the Widow's Walk (Snakefarm Records/Universal Music Group, 2020)". Americana UK. Retrieved 2021-06-20.
  2. ^ a b c Sigler, Gabriel (2020-04-16). "On The Widow's Walk: How Shooter Jennings helped The White Buffalo unlock the best album of his career". Bad Feeling Magazine. Retrieved 2021-06-20.
  3. ^ Stavropoulos, Laura (2020-03-26). "The White Buffalo Announces On The Widow's Walk Live Stream Concert". uDiscover Music. Retrieved 2021-06-20.
  4. ^ Baines, Huw. "The White Buffalo Reschedules UK Tour For Spring 2021 - Stereoboard". Stereoboard.com. Retrieved 2021-06-20.
  5. ^ Stickler, Jon. "The White Buffalo Moves UK Tour To Spring 2022". Stereoboard.com. Retrieved 2021-06-20.
  6. ^ a b c Baines, Huw (2020-05-05). ""There's no flash – play hard or don't play at all": The White Buffalo on his direct approach to guitar". Guitar.com. Retrieved 2021-06-20.
  7. ^ a b "The White Buffalo releases new album 'On The Widow's Walk'". Grateful Web. Retrieved 2021-06-20.
  8. ^ a b Gulden, Andrew (2020-04-16). "REVIEW: the White Buffalo's "On the Widow's Walk" is Theatricality and Vibrant Imagery". Americana Highways. Retrieved 2021-06-20.
  9. ^ Parker, Matt. "The White Buffalo: 10 albums that changed my life". MusicRadar. Retrieved 2021-06-20.
  10. ^ Hudak, Joseph (2020-03-26). "The White Buffalo Preaches Living for the Moment in Majestic New Song 'Problem Solution'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2021-06-20.
  11. ^ "The White Buffalo releases official music video for "Problem Solution"". Side Stage Magazine. 2020-04-24. Retrieved 2021-06-20.
  12. ^ a b Roos, Scott. "The White Buffalo's 'On the Widow's Walk' Is Another Classic from One of Americana's Modern Greats". Exclaim!.
  13. ^ a b ""Album Review: The White Buffalo – On The Widow's Walk"". Kerrang.
  14. ^ Kennard, Dan. "SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE WHITE BUFFALO - ON THE WIDOW'S WALK". The Spill Magazine.
  15. ^ Gorondi, Pablo (2020-04-21). "Review: The White Buffalo's rumble fills songs with emotion". AP News. Retrieved 2021-06-20.
  16. ^ Stefano, Angelo. "These Are the Best-Selling Bluegrass Albums of 2020". The Boot. Retrieved 2021-06-20.
  17. ^ Walton, Phil (2020-05-22). "Interview with The White Buffalo". Loud Hailer Magazine. Retrieved 2021-06-20.

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