Although he still hollers like a musical version of Al Pacino, Leithauser reconciles his voice towards latter day Bob Dylan, playfully teasing listeners via a more driving beat underneath the lyrics ala Wilco and making great use of drummer Matt Barrick as well as the rest of the artists, including Paul Maroon, Walter Martin, and Peter Bauer. They follow up “Water” with one of the album’s stunners, “In the New Year,” which sounds like a party in itself complete with Martin’s organ that seems to take on a lightly Latin fiesta flavor as the piece grows in mini-movements, resulting in one awesomely infectious track, sure to get a lot of repeat plays from fans.
While musically “Seven Years of Holiday (for Stretch),” seems to continue on with the merry spirit, it’s deceptive as we’re caught up in lyrics chronicling life on the road, living in a suitcase, and the alternately thrilling and depressing contradictions it entails as they “ran around, banged our heads; never felt no pain.” Next they invite listeners to a Walkmen styled luau, with the SoCal sounds of “Postcards From Tiny Islands,” which carries on the musical theme introduced in the earliest tracks of You & Me but to better effect as it gets us rocking with more hard to decipher anguished (or is it joyful?) cries from our lead vocalist.
However, the guys slow things down with the pretty but forgettable “Red Moon,” before rebounding with another triumph in the Roy Orbison like “Canadian Girl,” which has an undeniably old-fashioned, hauntingly gorgeous feel that felt as though — had their been more harmonizing — it wouldn’t have been out of place on a vintage Beach Boys record. Why The Beach Boys? Possibly because the experimental nature of You & Me evoked Pet Sounds for me and while very few albums will ever come close to Brian Wilson’s epic opus, despite its mixed results, I have to applaud the effort of The Walkmen to try something different.
Article comments
1 - Jordan Richardson
Nice review.
Bows + Arrows is still one of my favourite albums of the last five-ish years and yet I haven't gotten around to hearing anything from this. Judging from your review, it sounds like a safe but honest bet. Might pick it up.
2 - Jen
Thanks, Jordan! Good call. I haven't heard Bows + Arrows for awhile but after reviewing this one, I feel the urge to go back and listen again to the others. If interested in the new disc, I believe you can also stream some of it both on the AmieStreet.com site as well as the band's MySpace page. Enjoy!