Happy New Year! Oh shit, it’s not even Christmas yet and I had been holding this over to announce 2009. But, I love it too much to shelve it until then and I’m a bit odd that way (like preferring Christmas songs in July and such like). To tell you the truth I have a love/hate relationship with the Walkmen, sometimes they press all the right buttons (‘Bows + Arrows’ for e.g. where they displayed some AYWKUBTTOD genius) but sometimes I get a headache searching for the hook which is undoubtedly there but fastidiously hidden amongst the guitar carnage. ‘You & Me’ is their latest opus and as well as arriving really cheaply with profits going to a worthy cause it has tracks like this brightening our day. This has pretty much everything a good Walkmen record should have, Hamilton Leithauser’s signature screech, elegantly turned out rambling guitars and a drifting yet still leading the way percussion section. On such things are made life changing resolutions. KD

The Walkmen - In The New Year

Watch The Video To The Rat

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: The Walkmen
Year: 2008