Album Review: The White Buffalo – On The Widow's Walk

Grittier than a wad of three-day old gum found on the pavement, The White Buffalo’s sixth release is a husky-voiced dose of story-led Americana. It’s a vehicle for multi-talented solo artist Jake Smith, who collaborates here with alternative country star Shooter Jennings, the artist who helped Duff McKagan bring his superb solo album Tenderness together last year.

Not surprisingly, it’s a marriage that works, with Jake’s often chilling voice – reminiscent of Johnny Cash in the haunting River Of Love And Loss – combining well with his producer’s sparse but smart sound. The Rapture is one fine example, with a sudden whiplash of guitar keeping you hooked. To go with his intriguing vocals, Jake’s also an interesting and eerily predictive lyricist.

He implores us to ‘Just get through the day’ on opener Problem Solution, before leaving us with lines like ‘When it’s time to live and love again, I’ll find you’ on the album’s concluding cut. Too introspective to actively rock, On The Widow’s Walk does nevertheless leave some big footprints.

Verdict: 3/5