There is a feeling of inescapable isolation and existential unease resonating throughout each of the eight songs on this record. The very first line of side one, "Restless are the words that come alive as they spill from your pen", evokes a pensive melancholy that continues through to the album’s final minutes. What emerges is a detached, though vaguely wistful, sadness that is idiomized rather than romanticized.
In “Walking Papers”, Cale has taken on the role of outside narrator to the events in the lives of his characters. He has secluded himself, and now, clearheaded, is able to assess these characters' past decisions and figure their next move, all the while trying to decide if they have been blessed or cursed by their lives or even by life itself. It is fitting that the last song of the album, "Kicked Awake", contains both the most uplifting and the most bleak passages on the album, further enshrouding the listener in existential confusion. It is the murky dusk between hope and despair where one must decide the outcome before it is decided for them. "Freedom, arise!" the song triumphantly begins only to sink down again into descriptions of a weary veteran who "pleads for a dose of morphine to kill the pain that loudly screams".
Zachary Cale's distinct vocal style suits the content of his lyrics . Despite having the sharp, raspy quality of Tom Petty or Dylan, he manages to pull off some interesting takes, particularly on the song "Head-On" where his words carry a charming, lilting melody. Mostly, however, the vocals are appropriately and effectively dour, occasionally reflective and sardonic, but always soulful.
When paired with the stark instrumentation accompanying Cale's voice, the effect of the lyrics is even more striking. Warm washes of cymbals, cello, and violin melt in and out. Electric guitar phrases, upright bass, and drums make sparse appearances to round out the album and give several songs an almost rollicking sound. None of these instruments, however, ever comes close to overshadowing Cale's unmistakable acoustic guitar sound. He seems to have tapped into centuries of fingerpicking tradition, taken the darkest elements, as well as the dreamiest ones, and then turned those elements on their heads. Fingerpicking syncopated arpeggios and haunting melodies with his acoustic guitar Cale manages to create a lush, compelling core for the surrounding instruments. Picture John Fahey at his most austere, writing chilling ballads and country songs and that comes a little closer to what Zachary Cale has done with “Walking Papers”, a beautiful and astonishingly original album.” - PJ GLAUBERZON
"I first met Zach Cale at the old Harlem location. He came in with a bunch of his friends and recorded a bunch of tracks. It was clear to me that he was on to something really special. His songs actually told stories, and evoked strong images that were aged beyond his years, and reminded me of some of the great story tellers of the past. (where are they when you need them most, like now?) none of those songs lived to see the light of day, as over the next year, he would come into different locations I had access to and cut new songs that replaced the old ones because they were increasingly better, and more identified with the character that he is when he is performing. Eventually after maybe 40 or more songs in the can, the records contents were finally realized. All of them tracked live guitar and vocals, I watched Zachary turn into a truly amazing performer, an art that is not alive in most of the recordings of our age and something that most bands now-a-days cannot even attempt. Sparse overdubs from a great pool of talent add to this timeless record. This record is great, and needs to be heard when you have time to listen. Zach's live performances are also truly captivating." - KEVIN MCMAHON
