The
Walkmen
"Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone"
CD
StarTime
International
Genres: indie pop
StarTime Int'l
285 5th Ave.
PMB #452
Brooklyn, NY 11215
July 22 - 28 2002 |
The
press release said that The Walkmen were poised to be the next Strokes,
that is, until they cracked under the pressure. Well, it's true. The
Walkmen have become a bit of a buzz-band on the mainstream scene,
but that is by no means a problem. The world needs The Walkmen just
as much as they need to dispose of Britney Spears. Everyone
Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone, The Walkmen's most
recent work, is a pop album. No, scratch that - Everyone
is a a dark, gritty pop album, right down to the cover art depicting
of a group of teenage boys smoking. The image is creepy - it's almost
surreal - but so is the album.
Instead of going for the dead-on pop music approach - which can be
compared to sex in its zest for instant gratification - The Walkmen
construct moods and sound sculptures, providing a cinematic background
to lead singer Hamilton Leithauser's Casablancas-esque
voice. "French Vacation", for example, combines soft, yet
passionate vocals with unusual, chiming guitar chords and calm, steady
drumming to produce a magnificent effect. "Rue The Day",
interestingly enough, is like being submerged in a huge tank of water,
while a band is floating around you, slowly playing their instruments
and singing passionately. It's hard to explain, but definitely
there...
All in all, Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone is a
wonderful record. Like the calmer side of Wilco, The Walkmen
are emotional sound architects - putting together complex melodies
and moods like there's nothing to it. From the calm start of
"They're Winning" to the passionate, breathless closer
"I'm Never Bored", Everyone is an outstanding album.
90%
Matt Shimmer [Vitals:
50 min 56 sec; 13 tracks; distributed by Amazon;
released 2002] |
