Georgia native Butch Walker may be the best rock musician you’ve never heard of — at least not as a solo artist. A veteran of the music industry and a producer/collaborator with such acts as Pink, Weezer and All-American Rejects, Walker couldn’t sound further from the more popular names he’s helped reach heights higher than he. A unique amalgamation of folk, rock and indie, Walker has slowly built a small following of cult fans. Now with the release of his fifth solo record, “I Liked You Better When You Had No Heart,” Walker is poised to gain more followers.
You might know him as the guy who did that cover of Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me” and was subsequently invited to play with Swift at last month’s Grammys. But what does Walker sound like doing his own stuff? Sincere. Walker has made a clear effort in his indie career — he spent the ’80s and ’90s in a succession of bands — to not be pinned down to any one genre. It’s like the old Osmond saying, “a little bit country, a little bit rock and roll,” but not as cheesy.
In past albums and in the new one, his songs speak from the heart about life’s ups and downs. Even when he and his band are having fun and writing about stock subjects, the lyrics come from experience. It leaves a bigger imprint on the listener than songs built around catchy-but-empty three-line hooks. But one listens for more than lyrics; the music that accompanies the words is just as appealing.
Compared to his previous album, “Sycamore Meadows” — bonus points if you know what we’re talking about — “No Heart” definitely has more bounce in its step. More hopeful than “Sycamore,” it has the energy of earlier solo efforts, but builds off the content and feel of his later work. The title of the album is a mystery. It’s not the title of any song on the record and of those eleven songs, not one lacks a modicum of heart. It features a mix of upbeat rock-pop numbers that should stand well as singles. With experimental genre-mixing tunes that draw from recent folk elements, and the occasional slower heartfelt ballad that finds its way into each of his albums, “No Heart” is less roller coaster than tour bus. It takes listeners through a variety of sounds that mesh well together.
Album highlights include, “She Likes Hair Bands,” a sometimes humorous pining for a girl; “House of Cards,” an upbeat jam session with a bit of twang; “They Don’t Know What We Know,” a mish-mash of folk and power rock; and “Temporary Title,” which is arguably the best tune of the bunch with a speedy mix of guitar solos, “woah-ohs” and catchy hooks. Singling out these tracks seems somewhat wrong given the overall strength of the work here, but newcomers would be wise to sample the above tunes before delving into the full album.
Who knows? You might add to the growing list of fans. If not, well at least you’ll know the answer to a future Trivial Pursuit question about Taylor Swift.
“I Liked You Better When You Had No Heart” will be released Tuesday, Feb. 23.