The Walkmen
“Bows And Arrows”
Record
Emerging from waves of crashing cymbals and fuzzed-out guitars
comes a raw, angry wail.
“And when you’re coming around, you’ll be
sorry for the things you said,” yells Hamilton Leithauser,
lead singer of New York post-punk band The Walkmen. “Bows And
Arrows,” their new album, is a natural progression from their
critically acclaimed debut “Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me
Is Gone.” Like other NYC bands including Interpol and the
Strokes, The Walkmen rely on layers of reverb and distorted guitars
and draw upon influences ranging from early U2 to the Velvet
Underground. Lacking the droning vocals of Interpol or the clinical
precision of the Strokes, The Walkmen have crafted a sound filled
with desperation and bitter honesty.
“Bows And Arrows” begins much the way its
predecessor did, with wavering guitar feedback before Leithauser
coos, “What’s in it for me?” The album begins to
kick into high gear with “The Rat” and “Little
House Of Savages,” raging rock songs with sharp guitars and
fast-paced drumming to match Leithauser’s singing. At the
heart of “Bows And Arrows” is his voice; Leithauser has
a wider emotional range than the Strokes’ Julian Casablancas
and a throaty grit exuding cigarette smoke and the smell of seedy
Brooklyn bars.
The pace changes midway through the album with the fragile
“Hang On Siobhan” and the piano pop of “New Years
Eve.” The songs vary enough throughout to dispel any notion
of The Walkmen being a one-trick pony. “New Years Eve”
segues nicely into “Thinking Of A Dream,” with faintly
recorded piano keys echoing into the distance.
The album-ending title track further expands the band’s
range by adding a keyboard, as well as a sense of hope. With the
start-to-finish excellence of “Bows And Arrows,” The
Walkmen should have plenty to look to forward to.
–David Greenwald