Album Review: The Long Distance Relationship – When the Walls Come Down

The Long Distance Relationship rose out of the debris of Hurricane Katrina, and its leader, Dave Baker resettled in Asheville NC. The “group” has always had a revolving cast built around a core of players. As heard on this recording, Long Distance Relationship is part solo project, part band effort, part collective with songwriter, instrumentalist and singer Dave Baker as its center of gravity. And it all hangs together. When the Walls Come Down (the album, not to be confused with a 2021 EP of the same name) is TLDR’s latest project.

The moody, minor-key “Hidden Sun” has a subtly psychedelic character, one that’s effectively achieved without relying on any of the standard-issue psych tropes like wah-wah or phasing. Ian Reardon’s soaring guitar leads propel the tune into space, and the whole trip is an alluring sonic excursion.

“Tiny Wires” has a catch ‘80s alternarock feel, with a propulsive arrangement that draws the listener in and hold their attention. On the surface, Baker’s coming-at-you-fast-and-furious lyrics concern technology, but there’s some metaphorical, interpersonal content within. Two very different guitar breaks add a nice bit of texture and variety to the tune.

“When It’s Right There” features Baker on all instruments save drums (those are ably handled by Chris Tullar). The song’s disorienting, multi-layered arrangement adds some fascinating instrumental crosstalk to the tune; in places it almost sounds like to different (but complementary) songs rackign alongside one another in parallel.

With some peppy, straightforward Wurlitzer keyboard textures, There’s a bouncy, singalong vibe to “When the Walls Come Down.” Like the preceding track, it’s another nearly all-Baker performance, this time with Chris Carter on drums. (Carter, like Tullar and several of Baker’s musical compatriots, is a multi-instrumentalist whose various talents are effectively employed throughout When the Walls Come Down.

Like “Hidden Sun,” “Dirty Little Secret” has been in Long Distance Relationship’s live set list for some time. Those songs were good back then; they’re even better, more sharply defined, in their 2025 recorded versions.

“Prelude” is a bit of studio sonic trickery; sound effects, really. On its own the track seems – at first, at least – a bit out of place. But once “We Never Spoke” unfolds, its alluring Bowie-esque character lets the listener know how “Prelude” fits into the larger puzzle. It features a Mellotron-like keyboard textures and a hypnotic vocal part in which the lyrical lines seem to tumble over one another in a delightful way. (This one was in TLDR’s set all those years ago as well.)

Slashing, distorted guitar forms the center of “Fight Tonight,” easily the rocking-est tune on the album so far. Some tasty Farfisa-styled keyboards add interest. Elzy Lindsey’s intense, rapid-fire drumming brings even more energy. Baker’s lead vocal is buried in a murky mix, but that production choice seems to be a deliberate one, not a mistake. And it does indeed work in this context.

“Just Let Me Know” seamlessly combines a pop feel with a hazy psychedelic feel. It’s the most conventionally pop song (meant in the best way) on this set. “Adolescence” features a different vocalist – Amy Kett – taking the lead. Her vocal texture and character take the album in a very different direction. The instrumental components of the song – mostly by Baker with lead guitar by Robert Vicknair – help keep it rooted in an aesthetic connected to the rest of the album.

With its repeated guitar figures and angular chord changes, “Banks of the River” is reminiscent of Television, or – for a more geographically relevant connection – Alarm Clock Conspiracy, a long-gone but fondly-remembered art-rock group from Asheville. The instrumental breakdown that forms the song’s second half has a spaghetti-western feel, with bits of keyboard that suggest Rick Wright circa 1968.

“The Kindest” finds Baker handling all the vocals and instruments, joined only by cicadas. It’s contemplative and lovely way to close the album. The Long Distance Relationship’s current live dates feature material from this album and TLDR’s back catalog. The live lineup finds Baker joined by Tullar, Carter and Steve Hall, all of whom helped make this album the effective collection that it is.