A Walk Through Life

The Walkmen’s new disc, A Hundred Miles Off, is a Bob Dylan-esque, breezy romp though the trials and trivialities of modern living: 12 tunes that are sure to be the theme music to whatever life throws your way. Unlike many indie bands, The Walkmen celebrate the beauty of life instead of dwelling on pain and angst. There is an overall romantic, wistful air to the album which is apparent through the tapestry of dreams, leaves, and bird imagery woven throughout.For moments of isolation and loneliness, listen to “Another One Goes By;” for moments of life-defining self realization, check out “Good for You’s Good For Me;” or if you’re unabashedly angered by the establishment, there is “This Job is Killing Me.”
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Hamilton Leithauser’s lyrics border on Thoreau’s Walden in such cases as opening song “Louisiana,” where he sings, “Crossing through Tennessee watching the sunrise/Thinking about a dream.” This breezy, laidback vibe is then juxtaposed with a hint of aggression thrown in on markedly punk gems like “Tenley Town.” Leithauser’s raspy voice seems to fall somewhere between Bob Dylan’s unintelligible vocals and Bono’s impassioned zeal. When coupled with vintage guitar, echoing piano, and horns, there is an unmistakable Velvet Underground quality to the music.

A Hundred Miles Off is not a complete departure from their earlier work, Bows and Arrows, but rather serves as an extension experimenting with their sound without betraying their characteristic 60’s garage band aesthetic. The result is an album that serves as background music to be played on repeat as opposed to an annoying, pop-y disc with three good tracks and a lot of fluff.