On The Lillywhite Sessions, Ryley Walker and the similarly indebted trio of drummer Ryan Jewell and bassist Andrew Scott Young cover Dave Matthews' infamously abandoned 2001 art-rock masterpiece of the same name, a record where he and his band indulged a new adult pathos and a budding musical wanderlust. With a delicate rhythmic latticework and vocals that ask you to lean in, "Busted Stuff" recalls Jim O' Rourke's golden Drag City days. Emerging from a wall of distortion, "Diggin' a Ditch" becomes a power trio wallop à la Dinosaur Jr, shaking off existential malaise like twenty-something pals writing rock songs in the garage. Walker's "Grace is Gone," the most faithful take here, is a testament to his unflagging love for the music that helped make ... read more