The Walkmen's sound is very modern, but the instruments on which the music is played sound anything but. The band was noted in their early years for using a piano that sounds as if it might be the first piano ever made, giving their sound a dusty, decaying feeling. Their albums are all about pacing, and that is most evident on 'Bows + Arrows', what I consider to be the band's greatest achievement. The first noise you'll hear as you listen to the album is an old pump style organ, and I really think that the whole album sounds like that pump organ; the first track is it gathering air, and then "The Rat" (which is widely considered to be one of the best indie rock songs of all time) blows all of that air out again, and then the process is repeated. Atmosphere mixed with adrenaline is the name of the game on this album, and it worked to create one of my top 10 favorite album's of the last decade. The band's later music lost a little bit of the aggression, but all of that was made up for by a willingness to tinker with their core sound, notably by adding horn sections and mariachi influences to their music. I really like every album by the band, however, so if you enjoy this one, I definitely suggest listening to the rest of them.
My favorite tracks: "The Rat", "Little House of Savages", "The North Pole", "Thinking of a Dream I Had"
This is the video for The Walkmen's other biggest song, "We've Been Had", off of their first album. The song was famously featured in a commerical for the Saturn Ion, which was the first time that I and many many others ever heard the band.
I have to say David’s description of an organ itself is dead on for the first four tracks. ‘What’s in it for me’ made me nervous about this week as Hamilton’s vocals came off as scratchy and annoying and the rest of it was just plain boring. ‘The Rat’ on the other hand was the exact opposite in every way. This song is aggressive in every sense of the word between the drums, guitar, and especially the lyrics. Having been in Hamilton’s position on this song before, I can say this song is the anthem for the guy chasing his gal who just left him. ‘No Christmas While I’m Talking’ is a carbon copy of track 1, while ‘Little House of Savages’ steps up the aggression again. It is not as potent as ‘The Rat’, but I am getting more of a Bono vibe out of Hamilton on this one. ‘My Old Man’ breaks the pattern with something more upbeat, but after the two highlights, this one falls short in my unfair comparison. ‘The North Pole’ comes across as ‘The Rat’ v2, and Hamilton seems to do his part, but the rest of it just falls short without the appropriate pace. ‘New Year’s Eve’ seems to remove the organ and place in a piano which was the highlight of the back half of the album for me.
ReplyDeleteAfter ‘The Rat’ and ‘Little House of Savages’, I couldn’t help but want more out of the rest of the tracks. Either way, an interesting group that has a lot of components reminiscent of prior music togetherness weeks.
I also really love the piano in 'We've Been Had'
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone listen to The Walkmen or Interpol?
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of response are you looking for? The answer to your question is quite obvious, especially on this blog.
ReplyDeleteHaha, that's pretty much what I wrote, Terry. I was just way less friendly about it, so I felt bad and removed it.
ReplyDelete“Bows + Arrows” was a fine album, but for me it was a little disappointing for one reason - not a single track could measure up to “We’ve Been Had.” That may not seem like a positive, but for me, i’s quite a feat that’s not easily accomplished. There are few songs I’ve heard over and over throughout my lifetime that I continue to love year after year, and that is one of them. That piano line is beautifully haunting, and the tempo is perfect. Unlike Thomas apparently, I think the lead singer’s voice is actually one of the band’s strongest positive attributes. I can see why it must bother some people but for me, it hits the sweet spot and gives the band a trademark sound that makes any song of theirs easily recognizeable as The Walkmen.
ReplyDelete“What’s In It For Me” and “138th Street” have that same feel for me, and were two of my favorite tracks on the album. A negative on the first track, though, would be that I kept waiting for it to pick up and it never did. Luckily, it segued nicely into “The Rat,” surprisingly my favorite track on the album, especially for one that veers away from the idea I’m used to having about what this band should sound like. It was quite emotional and definitely high energy. It, along with tracks like “Little House of Savages” and “The North Pole” sound like they might sound better live. I guess I’ll find out. The only track I really didn’t like was “Thinking of a Dream.” From the high pitched bells in the beginning to the screaming guitar and the rolling drum, this just wasn’t my style. The song I most wanted to like but wasn’t in love with was “No Christmas While I’m Talking,” although I have to give props for one of the most awesome song titles of ever. It sounds like something somone in my family might say.
Anyway, thanks David, for doing some of my Bonnaroo homework for me when I have been such a slacker as of late. I”m sorry for the late posts all - I really am trying to improve.
First off, apologizes for the lateness. All I knew about The Walkmen going into this week was that I really liked the song “The Rat”, that David played on the jukebox one night up at Norb’s. I’m hoping this album will get me excited about seeing them perform at Bonnaroo in a few months.
ReplyDeleteThe old organ is the standout element on the opening track of Bows & Arrows; Hamilton’s wavering croon took a few listens to get used to. The guitar arrangements and tempo of “The Rat” is reminiscent of early 2000’s indie rockers The Strokes but there is an edge and euphoric wave that carries the song that makes them stand out from their contemporaries. When I listen to this music I get the feeling of walking into a smoky British nightclub. To me, there are elements of Rolling Stones heyday all over the record, obviously not as polished. I am genuinely excited about seeing these guys in concert because I am playing all of these songs very loud in my headphones, and the energy they give off must translate to a high powered performance. “Hang on Siobhan” is a highlight for me, its restraint and lyrics really hit the bulls-eye for the melancholy theme that runs throughout the album. More than Hamilton’s singing, the band is top-notch and is the driving force behind their terrific sound. “Bows and Arrows” gives every member of the group a chance to shine on a final track, whether it be Paul’s stinging guitar or Matt’s proud drumming it serves as a last call for this boozy, reflective and rewarding album.
“What’s in it for me” starts off sounding a little muffled. Not sure if that is the intention or I am just listening to a poorly downloaded track. There are some different sounds going on in the background that I have never quite heard on another song before. So for that I will definitely say they get some creativity points. Hamilton’s voice kind of reminds me of Rod Stewart on “Rat.” It has that somewhat scratchy feel like Rod’s, and even the tone seems to be right on key. I can definitely hear some similarity between the Walkmen and the Strokes on this track. Overall I find it to be quite enjoyable. “No Christmas while I’m talking” was completely opposite for me. I found it to be almost painful, and a little bit draggish. I couldn’t really picture myself ever listening to this track again for any reason. It really doesn’t stir any emotion in me, other than the fact that I appreciate the previous track much more. “Little House of Savages” is a step in the right direction, and reminds me of some 60’s rock bands. I like the guitar on “138th Street.” Not really sure overall at this point what I think of the band overall. I appreciate their uniqueness, just not really sure if it has a place in my musical repertoire.
ReplyDeleteI think this was definitely a good choice for the blog, it has elements of a lot of bands that we have covered. While I am not a huge fan overall, I can see the appeal and appreciate being introduced to another band that I may have otherwise never heard of.