Listening to Heaven – The Walkmen's seventh album (second for Fat Possum) – it's very easy to ascertain that the group's members are satisfied with what they've accomplished musically. That isn't to say that anything about Heaven is disingenuous or drab, it's just that there's an ease with which the band presents the album; there's nothing insistent in the music or lyrics, in fact it's very easy to get an image of guitarists Paul Maroon and Hamilton Leithauser as well as bassist Peter Bauer sitting down and just throwing their feet up on a table relaxing and picking up their instruments to play as producer Phil Ek presses record to capture the moment in mind. There's an ease and comfort in the presentation of this music which is both settling and infectious.
As “We Can't Be Beat” eases its way in with a succession of very tranquil and relaxing vowel sounds, listeners will immediately find themselves reclining into the sound right along with the band. There's an almost carefree and dreamlike quality to how singer Hamilton Leithauser commits couplets like “I was the Duke of Earl but it couldn't last/ I was the Pony Express but I ran out of gas” to tape which quickly becomes mesmerizing. As soon as they recognize it, that's when listeners will discover that they want to be in for the long haul with this record; it's just so easy to hear these folky strains that no one will want to leave them behind.
The easygoing pace put forth by “We Can't Be Beat” extends beyond the end of that song and ends up coloring the rest of the record. Some uninitiated listeners might be put off by a description like that as well as the fact that the tone and tempo of the record is so samey (for the most part), but one listen to the lush, serene and textural likes of “Love Is Luck,” “The Witch.” “Jerry Jr.'s Tune” and “The Love You Love” will win more than a few fans because – samey or not – there's no doubt that the songs are beautiful.
At around the time Heaven's title track works its way into these proceedings, it suddenly becomes apparent that while, the confines of this record are warm, inviting and lush, The Walkmen won't be staying here forever. The last quarter of Heaven's run-time sees the record turn to more lithe and active rock n' roll which, after the tranquilizing effect that most of the record has had before now, seems like an exciting breath of fresh air. That is not to say that anything in the band begins spontaneously lighting the last moments of the record on fire or shaking listeners up right before they're led out the back door of the album, just that the band leaves listeners with the impression that the chance of a more raucous record is very real in the future. That possibility is the thing which will have listeners coming back to see what The Walkmen have for them after Heaven; they'll want to know how many other colors to compliment and contrast Heaven The Walkmen have in them.
Artist:
www.thewalkmen.com/
www.myspace.com/thewalkmen
www.facebook.com/TheWalkmen
www.twitter.com/#!/thewalkmen
Album:
Heaven will be released on May 29, 2012 via Fat Possum Records. Pre-order it here on Amazon .
