In music and pop culture today, subtlety and taste are in very short supply. But this has both, in spades. Walter’s a Louisiana guy, and it shows on the opener, “Hot Louisiana Rock,” with its soulful, gritty vocal, driving rhythm guitar, and a solo with a great bite. And Walter’s solos are something to behold. His is a style few people have anymore; he’s not in a hurry. The solos get to where they’re going without any excess exertion. He’s not concerned about playing a thousand notes per bar, but he is interested in making it soulful and good. And he succeeds on pretty much every cut here, from the aforementioned opener, to the spooky feel of “Gator Bait,” to the incredibly crisp funk of “Done Did Dat,” to the lovely soul music of cuts like “Surrender to Love” and “A Woman Like You.”

There are fine contributions from other musicians, including wonderful production from the legendary Johnny Sandlin. Bonnie Bramlett shows she’s still got the vocal chops on several cuts where she helps out Walter. The other folks are names you might recognize, too. David Hood and Oteil Burbridge throw in bass, Paul Hornsby plays piano, and the Mighty Muscle Shoals Horns add terrific charts.

If you like tasty musical mixes from Louisiana, pick this up.

This article originally appeared in VG‘s Sep. ’06 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.