Review: The Walkmen – ‘Heaven’


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Maturity.

Now there’s a loaded word to use when talking about a new album. Does it refer to the sound of the band that finally refines and evolves into their true collective self?

Or maybe it’s the band that fancies shifting a few more units and heads closer to the middle of the road? Or perhaps it’s the band that’s just a little bit older, and a little bit wiser, as the industry’s resident ‘elder statesmen’.

The Walkmen return with new album ‘Heaven‘ and yes, it’s a mature offering from the New York/DC outfit. And one that encompasses a little bit of each of the three aforementioned parameters – in a good way.

Its strongest moments are when they slow it down a gear, cut back on the exuberance and fizz of angular, distorted guitars and take up the vintage warmth of acoustics. Kicking off in this vein is ‘We Can’t Be Beat‘, a delicate track with raw, naked lead vocals stretching out across a bed of ramshackle harmonies. It conjures up images of a campfire sea-shanty-singalong between The Band and rather surprisingly, The Coral. Possibly by the banks of the Merseysippi. Ghostly echoes of tremolo guitars cascade and cadence to the song’s euphoric cries of the title and a gentle close. As openers go it’s a strong one.

Another laid-back, low-key delight is ‘No One Ever Sleeps‘. Fleet FoxesRobin Pecknold guests on low harmony, whilst submerged instrumentation is lazily washed beneath the Hawaiian surf. There’s a dream-pop element to the track which is further explored on the ‘Albatross‘-like (read: Fleetwood Mac over Besnard Lakes) ‘Jerry Jnr’s Tune‘ – a sub-two minute shoegazey dreamscape. Quite wonderful.

There are times when things get a little more pedestrian, and paradoxically this is when The Walkmen increase the velocity to what may be considered their trademark sound. On tracks such as ‘Nightingales‘ and ‘The Love You Love‘, they slip into their safe mode of garage-rock songs – for the simple reason of having some ‘rockers’ to play live. Guitarist Paul Maroon has openly admitted that previously there was “something brittle” about The Walkmen’s sound, before enthusing about the warmth of the new album. Those two tracks fall into that ‘brittle’ category and it’s obvious that The Walkmen have outgrown these pursuits, such is their formulaic nature.

Meanwhile, there are further highlights and experimentation. Lead-vocalist Hamilton Leithauser (who is excellent throughout) has stated that to him, the songs on ‘Heaven’ are like ‘classic American rock songs’ and it’s hard to disagree. At some points the record becomes a (rather fun) game of spot-the-influence. Along comes Tom Petty on the mischievously titled ‘Heartbreaker‘, The Boss stops by on the eponymous lead-off single for some fist-punching action, as Leithauser cries “Remember, remember all we fight for”.



Fluid Tom Verlaine and Blondie inspired guitar-lines meander through these tracks recalling the New Wave era without adopting the sardonic, hipster saunter of the Garage Rock Revival. Oddly, there’s also an Anglophile element to the album too as the sea-shanties – beloved of many a Liverpudlian act – are revived on ‘Southern Heart‘.

Meanwhile, on ‘The Witch‘, it sounds like The Walkmen take a drive “through central Michigan”, cross the pond, head down the M62 and directly into Alex Turner‘s living room, such is the remarkable resemblance to Arctic Monkeys. But that’s not to say that the songs are blatant rip-offs in any way, more like subtle nods and tips of the cap to the Great American (and UK) Songbook. It sounds like The Walkmen have grown up, slowed down, and found contentment in the songs they’re making.

‘Heaven’ is a mature album, and it may just be their best yet.

(Craig Sergeant)


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