Israel Cannan's 2010 album Walk is not one that will rock your world, nor is it one that will win Album of the Year at the Grammys. It is not intended to change the planet, nor to change the way the listener sees his environment. Rather, this masterpiece is such because of its simplicity and raw emotion.

Not necessarily the most sophisticated piece of musical composition anybody has ever seen, but by no means unimpressive, Walk offers the listener a chance to experience music in its most original form. As Cannan explains on the CD cover and his website, his belief is that music is not something that can be manufactured, as a shirt or pair of shoes would be. He sees songs as a fully unique experience that can only be created in the action of a moment, when one is truly living his or her words.

Thus is the unique nature of this album: while the music itself is certainly not groundbreaking, the message is more original than just about anything that comes out these days. From the opening track "Set Me Free," Cannan maintains a more or less Elliot Smith-type rhythm, though there are flashes of emotion that pour through in certain tracks. This is exemplified ideally in the song "Where the Story Unfolds," easily one of the highest points of the record. The acoustics, mixed with the message-driven lyrics, brings to mind a Dispatch concert, though much more personal as it is just Cannan by himself playing all the instruments, as opposed an entire band.

Though not necessarily a great album for individual songs, it works phenomenally from start to finish and is worth dedicating the time for a least a few listens.

[ visit the artist's website ]