The Walkmen, "I Lost You"
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I could not have been more bored by the Walkmen's third album A Hundred Miles off. It was no departure from their first two, but yet the general feel of it was uninspired, plodding, treading water, tear-inducing, etc. To say I was expecting to like the follow-up implies that I was expecting anything at all. Maybe it's because of these lowered expectations that I've really loved their new album, You & Me, or maybe it's because it seems keep more of the grit that made The Walkmen so appealing in the first place, or maybe it's because Hamilton Leithauser has once again reached down into that part of his chest that produces such ripping howls that seemed at least muted if not absent on the last record. Whatever it is, this is a fantastic record. They're back.
You & Me is available from Amie Street until its official release date on Tuesday, with all of the money going to benefit cancer research and treatment. If you intend to buy it, do it here and now.
3 comments:
Want to see them at 9:30 club Sept 6? I bet they are solid live.
I'm pretty excited to hear this record...and that's actually mainly because, to me, the Walkmen are a band that have evolved from record to record (recreation of "Pussycats" being an obvious exception/sidetrack). I actually think "A Hundred Miles Off" was their best record to date! It sounded to me like their most cohesive album, featuring songs that stuck more easily to the ribs more than the previous two (both of which were excellent in their own more primitive ways).
This album just keeps hitting me harder and harder...and I'm beginning to understand why some may have regarded "One Hundred Miles Off" as a misstep. I still think "One Hundered Miles..." is an enjoyable record, but in retrospect it does kind of interrupt the continuity from the first and second album.
This new one puts the emphasis back on atmosphere. While it doesn't really vary in terms of sonics from track to track, it all adds up to some kind of master statement. I think the band has realized that what it does best are deep reverb-y torch songs. This is a goose-bumpingly good record that begs to be listened to in the dark. I can't get enough (though unfortunately I haven't had the chance to test run it in my proposed ideal listening environment.)
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