The Walkmen: ’You And Me’

Following the recent Leonard Cohen session for the website Daytrotter.com and the covers album 'Pussy Cats Starring The Walkmen’, you may be excused in mistaking the band for an obscure tribute act. However, now back to their most original on their fourth album, ‘You And Me’, the quintet are set to raise their profile.

With a murky sound that echoes thoughout the recording, as though it was captured in one take at The Cavern itself, the band have produced a mixture of anthematic singles and sprawling ballads.

The album's US release on a digital format saw the profits of $5 per sale go entirely to a cancer charity and took it to #29 on the US Billboard’s Top Digital Albums chart. The success is understandable on this release as the band have managed to bridge the gap between their awkward sound and mainstream success without compromise. This album in particular, with its country lilt, has the accessability of a Creedance hit and in its quiet moments, such as ‘Long Time Ahead Of Us’, where the intensity is reduced, demonstrating a softness and sentimentality that is interesting from a New York based act.

At times overshadowed by vocalist Hamilton Leithauser’s wail and lolloing drone, the album would be a beautiful instrumental work in its own right, delivered by such strong musicians, but the unpredictability and rawness of Leithhauser only strengthens the charisma the band muster.

Opening with the all the energy of a Redbull enema, ‘Donde Esta La Playa’ ebbs and flows with crashing guitar and creeping drumbeats. The whole album drips with this kind rawness and sentiment, which is never bettered than on ‘In The New Year’, a track paraded over by a church organ, yet still managing to emulate the freedom of a drunk howling at 3am. ‘Seven Years Of Holidays (For Stretch)’, with its military drum loops and echoing guitar, has a dreamy quality that shimmers throughout and gives texture to their work.

There are a number of excellent potential singles here that are sure to propel their name further into the commersial arena, but despite their accessability the challenging musical arrangements on the fourteen tracks prevent it being a light listen for a casual fan. 'You And Me' is an album where all the elements seem to point to disaster, yet manage to make for a perfectly imperfect release.

Released on 29th September 2008 by Fierce Panda.

Written by Carl Williams.