Walking Papers, the sophomore album by Zachary Cale, marks the artist’s leap from a four-track-bedroom-folkie to a songwriter of visionary scope. Recorded in 2005 at the legendary Bearsville Sound Studios by Marcata engineer, Kevin Mcmahon (The Walkmen, Titus Andronicus), Walking Papers was granted a belated release in December 2008, on the burgeoning Brooklyn-based label, All Hands Electric. Ghostly in sound, the album evokes the austere finger-style guitar work of John Fahey and the poetic couplets of Townes Van Zandt. Moving away from the lo-fi intimacy of his debut album, Outlander Sessions (released on New World of Sound in 2005), Cale is accompanied by an array of musicians. Though at times classically inspired, and at others roots-based, the instrumentation is always understated, providing a focus on lyric and melody. Fittingly, the singer’s voice has gracefully matured into the road-weary rasp that his story-based lyrics require. Walking Papers exhibits a genuine craft of American tradition; the songs are bona fide gems with every note and lyrical phrase informed by a quiet beauty, both familiar and timeless. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.