The Walkmen - A Hundred Miles Off

The Walkmen are an indie contradiction; they are simultaneously everywhere and nowhere. Their music has been getting rave reviews with all the right people, but they are only now catching the eye of the thriving sect of underage indie kids, thanks to a late ‘05 appearance on The OC. Despite their relative anonymity, The Walkmen have that obscure joie de vivre that makes them RELEVANT.

A Hundred Miles Off is the sort of record a band releases when they are trying to shake preconceived notions about their music, but they don’t know exactly how to go about it. One way to do so is Dylan-worship. Although lead singer Hamilton Leithauser merely hinted at it on previous records, he is now a card-carrying member of the Dylan-worshipping church. His raspy, mumbling vocals on the opening cut “Louisiana” hit you in the face like a rolling stone. Perhaps sensing discomfort, the track lets the listener down easy, closing with a calypso horn and piano riff. Breezy.

“Danny’s At The Wedding” is a spacey bit of aloofness that shows when A Hundred Miles Off is at its best; it lets the rhythm wander aimlessly before presenting the melody. The more upbeat songs, while at first listen are interesting, don’t suck you in. And, The Walkmen certainly try many interesting things to reel us in. For example, “Tenley Town” is a track that allows the band to show their origins with a raw D.C. sound, complete with drum breakdowns and screaming. However, when grouped with the Maragritaville-esque conclusion to the first track, this album just seems plain jumbled.

For most new listeners, The Walkmen is a band that drips with grimy charisma that even The Strokes would kill for. However, while not a hundred miles off its mark, A Hundred Miles Off is a bit of a disappointment for the rest of us. While the record is chock-full of energy and channels a more deliberately aggressive sound, it only hints at what the ‘Men can do. Here’s to hoping their next record has a little more spit-on-mom’s-finger-polish.

PS: This review has been reposted after much trepidation. Ask me about it (the trepidation, I mean).