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The Walkmen - A Hundred Miles Off Audio CD

A fair review of the The Walkmen "A Hundred Miles Off" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all The Walkmen reviews here, or go back to the The Walkmen tabs.

The Walkmen Band: The Walkmen
Title: A Hundred Miles Off
Rating:
Release Date: 2006-05-23
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Louisiana 2: Danny's At The Wedding 3: Good For You's Good For Me 4: Emma, Get Me A Lemon 5: All Hands And The Cook 6: Lost In Boston 7: Don't Get Me Down (Come On Over Here) 8: Tenley Town 9: This Job Is Killing Me 10: Brandy Alexander 11: Always After You ('Til You Started After Me) 12: Another One Goes By

Yes, this is a departure
Pianos and organs still linger here and there, but they are not as prominently featured in these songs which are basically guitar-driven rock songs. This album is very different from the band's first two. Hamilton Leithauser's once incredible voice has morphed into a shirll screech lacking enunciation for many of the tracks. It's a pleasant break when he explores his lower range on "Brandy Alexander". I've heard Dylan comparisons, but maybe it's closer to Faces-era Rod Stewart. "Lousiana" "All Hands and the Cook" "Brandy Alexander" and especially "Another One Goes By" are excellent. A couple more tracks like these and this album could have been great. Overall, it's not as good as "Bows + Arrows" or "Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me is Gone" but not as bad as some critics have claimed. I'd give it a B (I'm a teacher).


Aptly named at least
You only need to listen to "Always After You" to get a sense of exactly what's wrong with this entire album. I have to listen to this trash at work every single day and I am about ready to hand in my two weeks. Hamilton Leithauser sounds like a palsied halfwit wailing and banging on a toy drum. I mean the man is too lazy to open his mouth to sing. That's actually hit it pretty well on the head - it's lazy. Lazy lazy lazy from start to finish. One long droning "Duuuuuuuuuuuuh. " Thank you, Walkmen, for actually making my day harder to get through.


A step back...


The first two albums (which have been in my car's CD changer for one and a half years straight) have these great subtle elements that the new album is missing. I'd been eagerly anticipating a follow up to Bows and Arrows for some time, but after a couple of weeks, this one's not really doing it for me. Aside from songwriting elements, a think a few of the songs are ruined by this new screaming thing Hamilton's doing. The drumming on the earlier albums reminded me a bit of the stuff from the Bad Plus, but all that seems to have mellowed out on the new album.

On the other hand, it's still better than most other stuff out there.


Hundred Miles On
I certainly didn't expect an album like this, it's equally different but equally good to Bows and Arrows and Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me is Gone. The Walkmen just get better and better, and always seem to have a surprise up their sleeve.

I can't even explain why I like this band so much, I've been listening to them for years and yet I can hardly name any of their songs. I simply listen to the entire albums over and over again like one giant song. That's a rare band!

Lou-WEEZ-e-ana opens a Hundred Miles Off and the strumming game is afoot. You just can't get more esoteric than that. Just when the incredibly spot-on drumming wins you over, suddenly it sounds as if Minor Threat is reborn with Tenley Town. Other songs sprinkled amidst the album remind one of a Tarantino soundtrack, or a '70s department store replete with popcorn smells in the air. . . you decide.

Perhaps this album is less accessible by the mainstream, especially compared to Bows and Arrows. We'll see. No matter, it's a keeper.


My time was wasted listening to this so that you don't have to
Lured, by a halfway decent opening track I was bored by everything else that followed. Listening to this makes you wonder: what causes a group of people to think they have songs in them? Because this album offers zero evidence of any discernible talent. The vocals were awful, the lead flailing himself and saying nothing interesting at all (was he DRUNK when he laid down his [cough, cough] "contribution"?). This is nothing but a group who - like thousands of others who think they've "got what it takes" - have wasted their time, your time, and a record company's bet that this album / group had potential to succeed. I'm here to tell you: it's snake-eyes. A total bust. Walkmen, take my advice and call it quits. Dylan should sue for damages to reputation in the extremely unlikely scenario of this album moving more than 100 copies.


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