New Music: The Walkmen

I'll start by saying that I love The Walkmen.  I fell in love with them when they released "The Rat" back in 2004.  It had the right mixture of angst, sexiness and bravado that I was looking for back then.  Like The Walkmen, my palate has changed.  JUST A LITTLE BIT.  But, I'm glad.  Because I feel like the band and I are both in a place of settling down, not being so angry and, while they are wanting to write and and perform them, I am wanting to listen to romantic hyperbolic indie rock love songs. 

Heaven is The Walkmen's seventh album in their ten years as a band and is easily one of their best.  The record is pretty solid from start to finish.  Heaven starts out with "We Can't Be Beat," which starts out like a lullaby and builds up and then leads into "Love Is Luck," a typical amazing Walkmen song.  "Heartbreaker" is another favorite of mine. 

"I'm not your heartbreaker
some tender ballad player
I'm not your heartbreaker

These are the good years
all the best we'll ever know
these golden light years

I'm not your heartbreaker
some tender ballad player
I'm not your heartbreaker

You know I'm hopeless
oh no, no you're wrong
its not the singer, it's the song

You know I'm helpless
oh no, no you're wrong
it's not the singer, it's the song"

LOVE.  There are still a couple Walkmen signature slow burning tracks: "The Witch," "Southern Heart" and the gut wrenching "Line by Line."  And then there's "Song For Leigh," a cute little love song where Hamilton wails "I sing myself sick about ya."  Cute.  "The Love You Love" is also another stand out track on my shortlist of favorites of all time by them. 

Hands down, my favorite song on this album is the title track.  "Heaven" has been stuck in my head for weeks.  I just can't shake it.  It's just the sweetest song and I can't get enough.  It just makes me so happy.

"Don't leave me
oh, you're my best friend
all of my life
you'll always be"

For a career of over ten years and seven albums, The Walkmen have tried different directions, yet have stayed consistently good.  They've also kept the same lineup throughout this time.  That's pretty rare for a band.  I can't wait to see them perform this and many of my other favorite songs by them when they tour this summer.  You can also check out the foxiest guys in indie rock at any of these spots:

June 27                 Louisville, KY                    Big Four Lawn, Waterfront Park

June 28                 St. Louis, MO                     Plush

June 29                 Milwaukee, WI                  Summerfest 2012

June 30                 Minneapolis, MN               First Avenue

July 5                   Salt Lake City, UT              Twilight Concert Series

July 20*               Vancouver, BC                    Deer Lake Park

July 21*               Auburn, WA                       White River Amphitheatre

July 22*               Troutdale, OR                    McMenamin’s Historic Edgefield Manor

July 25*               Morrison, CO                     Red Rocks Amphitheeatre

July 29*               Indianapolis, IN                 The Lawn at White River State Park

July 30*               Cleveland, OH                   Jacobs Pavilion

July 31*               Detroit, MI                         Fox Theatre

August 2*            Toronto, ON                       Molson Canadian Amphitheatre

August 3              Montreal, QC                     Osheaga Music and Arts Festival 2012

August 5              Chicago, IL                         Lollapalooza 2012

August 10            San Francisco, CA             Outside Lands Festival 2012

*With Florence and the Machine