You & Me

Indie rockers from New York

The Walkmen is an American indie-rock band from New York, formed in 2000. The collective consists of five members: guitarist and organist Paul Maroon, organist and bassist William Martin, drummer Matt Barrick, bassist and organist Peter Bauer and soloist-guitarist Hamilton Leithouser. All these artists, except for Leithouser, attended the prestigious college St. Albans in Washington, D.C., which was finished by many famous men - thus, the former Vice President of the USA Albert Gore finished it. Earlier, the musicians played in such indie collectives as Jonathan Fire*Eater and The Recoys. The Walkmen prefer the sound of the vintage musical instruments in their work, for example, piano, and actively use it in their songs. In 2002, the performers released the critically and publicly acclaimed debut Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone. Two years later, they cemented their success in the US with the disc Bows + Arrows. The follow-up A Hundred Miles Off was accompanied by a tour along the USA during 2006. The same year, The Walkmen recorded the long-play Pussy Cats Starring The Walkmen, which featured the song-for-song cover for the 1974 disc Pussy Cats by John Lennon and Harry Nilsson. This cover release became a farewell record by The Walkmen with the Harlem-based studio Marcata Recording, where they frequently worked over their creations. This year, The Walkmen cheered the listeners with the disc You & Me.

Pleasant reminiscences of the past on You & Me

The Walkmen recorded the disc You & Me in a little different clue than its predecessors. While their early full-lengths picture the lyrical character of Leithouser depressed and broken after an all-night-long party from a string of alike nights, which was perfectly portrayed by the deep vocals of the singer, You & Me painted the reminds of the past travels and parties in the positive shades and with a tint of sweet nostalgia. The disc is opened with the ballad about journeys Donde Esta La Playa with the surf rock guitars. The song's lyrics are filled with the bright reminiscences about the time, spent near the ocean. "There is still sand in my suitcase", - sings the vocalist, and we realize that all the happened to him on the tropical beaches was not just a dream - he feels the proofs of it. The disc continues with the short instrumental track Flamingos (For Colbert). The pleasant indie-rock ballad Seven Years Of Holidays (For Stretch) goes on the topic of traveling and having fun. The track Postcards From Tiny Islands is sure to amuse the listeners with the perfect percussion, while the atmosphere of the sad ballad Red Moon, written about missing a girl and having a hope of re-joining her, is greatly contributed by the sour sounds of horns. Four Provinces is the most vivid track on the album and has an untypical for The Walkmen sound, which brings an element of innovation and intrigue into the disc. The album closer If Only It Were True is filled with dreams and melancholy.

The Walkmen say good-bye to the summer

The new long-play by The Walkmen is definitely their creative triumph. The vividness and spontaneity of their brilliant indie- debut Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone came back with this album. Besides, Leithouser made a great job over his pronunciation - this time everyone would be happy to catch the topics, about which the soloist devotedly sings. He sings that journeys and new acquaintances can bring an enormous amount of pleasure to a person - and even more pleasant memories. The other collective members grew up professionally too. The soft piano arrangements and the prolific play by the drummer surely belong to the best qualities of You & Me. This tuneful and reluctant collection of ballads about saying a farewell to the summer fits perfectly for the relaxation after a hard working day or during the weekend, when you have nowhere to hurry and enjoy the rest. It also would be appropriate to listen to during the moment of nostalgia for the great vacations or a breath-keeping party you had fun all night long - when you look through the photos, chronicling those events. Most evidently, You & Me is a disc about aging and personal growth. The feelings of disappointment and hollowness after the parties are substituted by the joy with the experience and tender missing. The texts became richer and wiser, which combines flawlessly with the memorable melodies and brilliant play.