LA-based songwriter Walter The Producer has been a bubbling-under talent for some time, chiefly majoring in a woozy blend between alternative rock and the funkier side of indie, born out of an ear for artists like Steve Lacy and Brent Faiyaz. It’s no shock, then, that “The Producer” half of his moniker stems from his talents behind the boards towards hip-hop. Yet despite all of those bonafides, it’s a Western-tinged project that’s really caught our attention, as Walter the Producer chalks off a dustier path for his latest, Modern Rock.
In press and interviews surrounding the EP’s release, Walter revealed that of his wide mosaic of inspirations, it was a spate of classic rock spins that led to the aesthetic divergence for Modern Rock, perhaps a natural development all things considered. About one half of the six-song tracklist is easily digestible for those who’ve checked his previous catalog, maintaining the low-key stylings and ear-worm melodies he championed in the past; the titular “Modern Rock” and “I’d Know” stand as arguably the most replayable here.
Walter The Producer Truly Shines When Facing Conceptual Material
At least for this writer, however, the granularly focused, conceptual tracks that make for the biggest highlights. “Bad Bad Man” evokes a ton of classic cowboy imagery, narratively structured like a high noon duel while actually spelling out a competition for a woman’s heart. Adding some additional charm with whip cracks and horse whinnies to drive home the Western aesthetics doesn’t hurt, either.
“Tell Me Again” gets a lot headier, taking things down into a minor key while delivering a sorrowful tale of a lost relationship, possibly entirely imagined. Finally, “Lonely Cowboy” essentially serves as the mission statement of the entire record, calling up similar touchstones of a .45 revolver and a walk into the horizon to put a further creative spin on the usual hopeless romantic concept.
With Modern Rock arriving just under a year following the first major Walter the Producer festival set at Lollapalooza 2024, it strikes as another major milestone in a career that’s threatening to break through the “indie artist” barrier. You can catch the EP now wherever you stream your music.
Elsewhere in our coverage, some unexpected names take center stage on the latest edition of Music Daily Tracks.
