December 11, 2010

The Walkmen: Stuck On A Winning Streak


A feature on The Walkmen I wrote for Malibu Magazine:

“If I had known the graceful song I should know/To slow down all the madness/I would have sung,” laments Hamilton Leithauser, his nervy and emotive vocals intact and passionate as ever on The Walkmen’s sixth album, Lisbon. Torch songs technically deal with unrequited love, but this playfully titled “Torch Song” is about an elusive and lost song — one whose power is a respite from restless nights. “A whispered melody to calm you and keep you close,” he sings.

Driven by a 6/8 piano rhythm and an uncharacteristically soothing backdrop of barbershop and doo-wop inspired vocal harmony, this song about a song ironically reveals itself to be its own remedy and Lisbon its sparse and nuanced means of delivery: an 11-track, 41-minute elegiac lullaby that is The Walkmen’s most tuneful and rewarding album to date. Forget the myth of the suffering artist. These happily married 30-year-old musicians are making the most remarkable and relevant music of their careers.  Read More

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