Originally from Indiana, Walker’s songs evoke a strong sense of home while simultaneously conveying the compulsion to ramble. He has performed in at least 15 different states, and his style seems appropriate in just about any geographic context, from New England to the Midwest to the Deep South. In “Hit the Road,” the fourth track on “Airplane,” Walker rattles off a number of cities and states where he has played, including Indiana; New Orleans; Fort Collins, Col.; Nashville, Tenn.; Boise, Id.; and California.

The new disc begins with a short burst of laughter that instantly gives the music a relaxed and accessible feel. Walker quickly delves into an upbeat country-blues tune called “Stumble and Fall,” strumming his acoustic guitar and joyfully reciting rhyming lyrics.

“Save a little money, save a little time, save a little lovin’, save a little wine. If you don’t save nuthin’, just spend it all, what you gonna do when you stumble and fall?” he sings.

The CD’s 11 tracks feature Walker on vocals and guitar, Roy Wallace on drums and Luke Crawley on bass, along with guest appearances by Matt Young on pedal steel and Fred Baker on guiro.

The album ends with the soft and wistful title track, in which Walker begins by describing his young daughter’s excitement at spotting an airplane in the sky. The plane becomes a metaphor for the dreams toward which people aspire, and listeners are left with the distinct impression that Walker has boarded his personal airplane through the creation of music.

Leeways Homegrown Music Network

Working a country-tinged combination of roots, folk, and blues, Dan and the band center their songs around his road-worthy lyrics, placing his classic voice among soulfully written, upbeat music. The arrangements are informed by everything from tried-and-true American pop, such as the Motown influence on the rollicking "Get Me Out Of This," to more diverse structures like the gliding soul-rock of "Blues By Midnight" and the Latin tilt of "Gonna Shine." No one instrument dominates, and the production is careful to blend bass, drums, guitar, and keys equally, creating a full, rich bedrock for Walker's memorable musings. The title track benefits the most from the musicians' collective efforts, as they create a haunting, dramatic closer that is like no other track on the album.

Airplane moves Dan Walker into a whole new phase, and finds him shifting from the stripped-down sound of his first album to a full-band emphasis. The tasteful nature of the recording along with Walker's obvious talent should make plenty of people get on board with this album!