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Rating: Here's another face of New York in 2000: The Walkmen.
This is their first album and the sound has the influence of the scene they live in. Certain notes remind one of Interpol, certain segments may recall Calla, yet their music remains independent. They have a dark sense alienated by rarefied atmospheres; they play clean, spontaneous, almost as if they had their heads in the clouds.
Each track struck me for the precision of the divinely arranged individual sounds; the voice blends sublimely with the piano and organ that features in much of the album ("The Blizzard of 96", "Stop Talking" and "Roll Down the Line" etc.); the drum punctuates the complex melodies, sometimes refined, full of moods.
The most "driven" songs are of a good level, but the peak of the CD is reached with That's the Punch Line...
It will take several listens to frame and understand this work that does not have the same immediacy of its New York cousins... Best listened to in silence, with headphones glued to your ears (and once again the cover art is amazing…)
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
02 Wake Up (04:13)
out of a station through my radio
nothings on it
like a joke thats told with out its final line
wheres it going
where had it belonged
i know
i'm trying
i'm trying to wake up
wake up
and i tell by you way too far
looking back i had a casing sentimental suns and shade
wont they ever spin around
foward
they're trying
they're trying
and so they do
in the call of a new world
as i climb to the next floor
haven't we
met before
under brighter skies above
above
and in a way its fine
we're walking through wind
unfamiliar scenes
we're choking to live
and we're shaking hands with someone we dont know now
wake up
wake up
03 Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me Is Gone (04:10)
because he knows
our romeo
he can't climb back
he swings in loopholes
when he goes through the air
their vengeance will stretch out
i made the best of it
this velvet rope
has fell before
in vain
clothing crashing the floor
insane
worse than once thought
i made the best of it
04 Revenge Wears No Wristwatch (03:21)
Anger, anger, treats me hard.
I tell her I say.
I've heard it all before, i've had it up to here.
Such a mess, I am.
You say, somethings wrong.
This Kind of life style doesn't work.
I'm trying something else.
For a change, for a change.
Thats ok, ok, ok.
I've heard it all before, i've had it up to here.
Such a shame, such a shame, such a shame.
12 Rue the Day (03:37)
I know you won't be thinking of me now, its been years.
But I hope you change your mind when we were introduced
We both laughed cause we've been friends since long ago.
And then today, but I never thought of you a single day.
But yesterday I remembered driving with no headlights
We would tip toe out in the evening.
Never done such things before, and I have never found once thinking of you since.
I'd be lying if I said you'd make never.
Came up and I'd be thinking of just how I'd like to cash my days in now.
And all I ever do is think of yesterday.
Man its hard to stand up straight all of the time.
We tip toe down to my basement.
Every time suceeds before.
I'd drive you home for goodness sake.
I could barely stand up straight.
Oh there's a memory calling, calling way too loud and way to strong.
Twisting all the bad things into good.
I'm a lucky guy now, but I'll never know until its gone.
Yeah I'll never know it till its gone.
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