The Walkmen - s/t
(Star Time)
My favorite thing about the Walkmen is that their record label has the same name as that really great James Brown box set. Man, that box set is great. You should really buy it. Other than that, though, I think that the Walkmen would be a much better band if there had never been any such thing as Three Mile Pilot or the Black Heart Procession. I mean, here is a band that plays ragged, noisy ballads, recorded with a lot of wide open space and plinky piano parts, and a singer that, seriously, sounds just like that guy from the aforementioned Three Mile Pilot and Black Heart Procession. It's so striking, I can hardly think of anything else. Except that James Brown box set, which I love more than anything by the Three Mile Pilot, Black Heart Procession, or Walkmen.
In any case, this is a four song EP by three former members of Jonathan Fire*Eater and a couple of other guys, recorded in their own studio in an industrial space in Harlem, NYC. Its got a really great, warm sound. The drums are clear and beautiful, the bass is low and fluid, the guitar blended and not overbearing, and the piano drops like rain. The songs are bold and melodic, delivered with unashamed emotion. A definite strength to this record is the obvious craft that has gone into it. Each song is deliberate and carefully balanced. The comparisons to Three Mile Pilot and Black Heart Procession may be a bit unfair. If you like those bands, however, I bet this might be of some interest to you.
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