Heaven (LP)
The Walkmen
SHIPS FREE in U.S.
Amoeba Review
LP comes with digital download card.
On The Walkmen’s first album, they sang “We’ve Been Had” with the wry observation of two bands’ worth of members (Jonathan Fire*Eater, The Recoys) who’d lost their naivete to record label woes and band breakups. Heaven’s opener, “We Can’t Be Beat,” while still touched by a cheekily observational tone (“All the kids are laughin’/I’m laugin’ too”), sounds revelatory compared with the band’s more downtrodden territory, coming out of its moody acoustic opening with an uplifting, stomping last third. Heaven continues with the Morricone influence of 2010’s Lisbon but strips some of the layers in favor of a more acoustic and solitary sound, preferring dusty campfire vibes while still entertaining the woozy balladry they’ve come to master. Of course they can still turn it up for a whiskey-soaked garage rocker (“Heartbreaker”) or pop-rock diversion (“Song For Leigh”) when they need to. Heaven’s fluidity and laid-back attitude underscore wisdom gained from 12 years and seven albums, showing The Walkmen are all the better for being comfortable in their own skin. Read More
On The Walkmen’s first album, they sang “We’ve Been Had” with the wry observation of two bands’ worth of members (Jonathan Fire*Eater, The Recoys) who’d lost their naivete to record label woes and band breakups. Heaven’s opener, “We Can’t Be Beat,” while still touched by a cheekily observational tone (“All the kids are laughin’/I’m laugin’ too”), sounds revelatory compared with the band’s more downtrodden territory, coming out of its moody acoustic opening with an uplifting, stomping last third. Heaven continues with the Morricone influence of 2010’s Lisbon but strips some of the layers in favor of a more acoustic and solitary sound, preferring dusty campfire vibes while still entertaining the woozy balladry they’ve come to master. Of course they can still turn it up for a whiskey-soaked garage rocker (“Heartbreaker”) or pop-rock diversion (“Song For Leigh”) when they need to. Heaven’s fluidity and laid-back attitude underscore wisdom gained from 12 years and seven albums, showing The Walkmen are all the better for being comfortable in their own skin. Read More




























