Get Thy Bearings is drenched in the vintage old school soul, funk and jazz vibe of Walter's heroes like Big John Patton, but it also reflects his recent work scoring films. There's a conceptual depth to the songwriting that draws on elements of narrative and character development, lending a cinematic color to the proceedings. The tracks range from the Sly Stone-style soul vamp of "Little Business" to the heavy gospel of "Crux." "Dog Party" might as well be the theme song to a cartoon of the same name, while "Don't Chin the Dog" shifts from delicate shuffle to horn-drenched boogaloo.