I'm not quite sure what to make of this album, I'm also not sure I like it. Perhaps my confusion stems from the deception of the opener, “Louisiana,” which is sweet and supple and has a touch of the magic sincerity that the Walkmen seem only occasionally capable of delivering. It is inviting and hints at a scenic route ahead. When Hamilton Leithauser wails “Come go away with me,” you are packing your bags and getting ready to go. When you are finally stuffed into the back seat, a ceremonious cadre of trumpets sends you off with seemingly appropriate regalia. And you are off. But instead of the new and unfamiliar jungle island you are expecting, the scenery becomes eerily familiar. Then you are suddenly dropped in the parking lot of a New York studio watching the band grind its way through eleven more songs. Don't get me wrong, the album is not bad. There are yet some bright spots to be found and enjoyed but their luster is weak and dim compared to the vision put in your head by the first track. You can hear the promise. You know there is potential. But a dusty glass ball is dropped in your lap instead of the priceless, sparkling gem you had thought you were getting. So much is accomplished by “Louisiana” that it is hard to not be disenchanted by what follows. “Danny's at the Wedding is the same familiar droning of Leithauser's vocal over the same familiar ringing guitars that you've heard from The Walkmen again and again. I like texture and I like what they do, but it sucks to be led so astray by the first track. Who sequenced this? What malicious, sadistic mother f---- put such a lovely atmospheric song at the start of an album that does not breathe the same air. “Good for You's Good for Me” should have the opiate-like effect of “My Old Man” or “Hang on, Siobhan” but the taste is not the same. Honestly, Bows + Arrows was a favorite of mine. I was excited for this album but now I find it hard to listen to either of them. I'm sorry to rant like this but it is simply poor execution. And it isn't just that one thing. You get another hint of something different on “Lost in Boston” when drummer Matt Barrick finally gets to show off for a second. Known for his incredible stage presence and raucous style, he is restrained on studio albums, making only a few lasting impressions (see: “The Rat”). But on this track he is unleashed, if only for a minute. Add to that a bass line that will bruise you and grope your girlfriend and you've got the makings of a great song. But by the time you get to that the song has already been cheapened by the uncharacteristically boring and trite lyrics. “Lost in Boston/drinking rum and chocolate/a hundred thousand blinking lights/ making me exhausted?” Quwha? “This night has lived too long,” huh? First of all where are the Walkmen? Who are these sad sacks that replaced them? Granted they've done their fair share of moaning and groaning, but it is usually a little more hostile, a little more angry, and simply better-written than “Mini skirts and high-heeeled shoes/raining mud on shiny suits.” That says nothing. Its not even that good an image, and it certainly doesn't deserve the energy and boldness of the instrumentation on this track. I've got no time for this mess of mediocrity. And you have to wonder at this point if they are doing it on purpose. They give you “Tenley Town,” which is the toughest song they've done, wild and whiplash-inducing it is a far cry from the usual hypnotic-anthemic that defines their sound. Even on something like “The Rat” which rocks pretty hard they don't get as wonderfully out of control as they let themselves do here. Which is nice, because they sound like they are finally having some fun. But it is alone here, it is thrown into a pile with songs it should not be hanging around with. So you have to wonder, why? Are they trying to frustrate me? Is it some kind of ironic statement. Disappointment and frustration are often subjects of their songs, maybe they want to inflict so of that pain on the listener to “enhance” the experience. I don't know. What I do know is that “Louisiana” is one of the best songs of the year (like “The Rat” and “We've Been Had” before it, they have a knack for delivering something amazing at least once per album) but it sets a tone for the album that is both overambitious and inappropriate. “Louisiana” is an elegiac and delicately nostalgic masterpiece, what follows is not. There seems to be no concern for continuity, no concern for the album as a whole. They give you songs and that is it. Just songs. Some good songs to be sure but those only make the failures of the album all the more difficult to swallow.
Peter Arnberg is a contributing editor for iHighMusic.com and a fine-looking man as well. For years he has amazed those who know him with his kazoo-playing and he will soon amaze the world on his debut album from Shampooer Records, Shmazoo. He lives in Lexington with three plants named Tuco, Blondie, and Angel Eyes.
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