Ears Wide Open: All Walls

Kevin Bronson on September 1st, 2015

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Keith Waggoner and Samson Crouppen were one-half of the quartet Holy Folk, who released an album of polyglot Americana in 2013. They have diverted to start the project All Walls, releasing a self-titled album two weeks ago that changes stylistic clothes faster that a pop star at an awards show. With a batch of work that emerged from Waggoner’s sessions writing scores, “All Walls” finds the duo collaborating with Ryan George, Tony Lyman, Charlene Huang, Shannon De Jong and J.R. Sage. Featuring an orchestral instrumental as the leadoff track and hopscotching from acoustic soul to pop noir to retro-pop to folk, “All Walls” feels not so much like an album but a compilation of submissions for film and television placements. Not to say that doesn’t require some songcraft; from the nifty 1-minute lullaby “Morning Muse” to vocal guest appearances by Lady Low’s Jimmy Sweet (“Once They’re Gone”) and Icelandic singer GRETA (“The Spider”), there’s a lot in the album’s quick 26 minutes. And the video for “The Spider” will get you in the end.

||| Stream: “New Vibration”