Butch Walker - I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart (ft The Black Widows) reviews
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| Absolutepunk |
 Butch Walker is not a man who likes to settle for routine. Judging from his artistic merits, one could imagine he doesn't pick the same meals each day or ultimately settle on the same girl to divulge poetic tragedies about on nearly every record. Big shiny arena rock, grownup pop rock, glam-infused indie rock, blue-collar Americana... it's obvious there isn't much of a "rinse later repeat" mantra hanging above Butch's bathroom mirror. Certainly Mr. Walker is a well-known man-about-town who works with big-name acts and writes big-hit songs -- he just isn't as household as some of his pop tunes are. 'Tis a shame, too, considering after decorating the first ten years of this millennium with several solo efforts that pass through every rock sub-genre out there, he has yet to gain recognition in the mainstream community (minus his accomplishments with Avril Lavigne, Weezer or Secondhand Serenade).
I Liked You Better When You Had No Heart pretty much sums it all up in its title. Familiar with Butch Walker's material? You know what's coming, at least in terms of lyrical wisdom. However, when it comes to his style and approach, even longtime Butch aficionados can't guarantee the odds are close enough to bet on. In case you were unable to pinpoint it... no, the title is not an emo-type phrase you should have tattooed across your forearm; it's actually country-inspired wisdom. The self-indulgent confessionals about loving damaged goods due to your own insecurities, patching up wounded souls (including your own), chicks who basically got dealt a bad hand (that will be my only & final vague reference to Kenny Rogers' The Gambler) -- it's all a part of Walker's world that he has conjured up for his fifth solo outing. Still harping on the softer delicacies of his intimate, more somber record, Sycamore Meadows, Walker has truly outdone himself with an album that captures all the nuances that made Letters and Meadows shine, and extracts them bit by bit to give every individual track its own breath. The record slowly builds a sense of rhythm as it trounces along, yet it's still just as heart-shatteringly poignant ("Canadian Ten") and pockets that trademark wink-and-a-smile charm ("She Likes Hair Bands") with a good sensibility that doesn't appear cheesy....full text |
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| Altpress |
Say what you will about Butch Walker's day job. Sure, the pop production maven has written and produced hits for some less-than-credible musicians (oh, hey, Lindsay Lohan, what's up?), but in the end, Walker has always been able to separate his production work from his solo material. From his arena-rock debut Left Of Self-Centered to his glammed out The Rise And Fall Of Butch Walker And The Let's-Go-Out-Tonites and through his contemplative singer-songwriter days, it's clear Walker's influences are more closely aligned with T. Rex, Tom Petty and Nick Cave than the shallow pop records he often produces.
It's also clear Walker seems to be more concerned with making his own honest music than penning himself a bunch of hits. You get the feeling that if he really wanted to, he could release a disc filled with nothing but smash singles. But perhaps the most impressive part of Walker's solo career is his chameleon-like skill to adopt a certain genre and do it better than most. It's been a trademark of his solo material for years, and it's front and center on I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart. A natural extension of 2008's folky, stripped down Sycamore Meadows, Walker's patented wit is here in full force as he pokes fun at his hair-metal early days on raucous "She Likes Hair Bands," while his poignant personality shines as pleads with his mother, "Why must you complain?/I grew up all right, so don't be ashamed/My mouth has been cleaner, and I may have lost all my faith/But until I believe in myself, I can't give my conscience away" on the harmony-heavy country-tinged ballad "Canadian Ten."...full text |
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| Rollingstone |
| "Temporary Title," "Stripped Down Version," "Pretty Melody" — Butch Walker's song titles make no bones: He's a studio rat who can churn 'em out. Walker has written and produced for artists ranging from Pete Yorn to Katy Perry; he's been everything from an acoustic balladeer to a debauched L.A. glam rocker. His latest packs it all in: grand ballads, punchy power pop, a smutty song about a girl who "likes hair bands." It sounds like it was recorded in 48 hours; you suspect Walker could make another album, just as catchy, in less time. If you called him a hack, you wouldn't be wrong. He's also one of America's best singer-songwriters....full text |
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