Ryley Walker’s musical journey has been an interesting one. I first saw him play three or four years ago at now defunct warehouse space the Mopery, where he was shredding outrageous, free-jazz noise guitar. As time went on, his solo compositions started getting dreamier, adding more melody and space to his virtuoso-level playing. Somewhere along the line, Walker switched over completely to acoustic guitars, favoring John Fahey-influenced fingerpicking, and left avant-garde noise rock behind. A new Walker song, the A side off his upcoming Addenda Records seven-inch, has just gone online; it showcases an amazing growth in songwriting skills, depth, and voice. Walker is singing now, sounding wise and heartbroken—far more mature than his 23 years would suggest. Joining Walker on this track, “Clear the Sky,” are two players who are still making spazzy noise, Andrew Scott Young on bass and Ben Baker Billington on drums. They reel it in to deliver tight, subdued backing for Walker’s beautiful guitar and voice. Hear the new song after the jump.