Lisbon, the new album from The Walkmen, is the group doing what they do best; providing a fully tailored neo-retro musical experience. The five piece from D.C. has been plugging away creating well thought out indie pop albums for 5+ years and while they may not be straying into major new territory they continue to live up to the reputation their early releases, like the impressive Bows + Arrows and P***y Cats, established.
The Walkmen’s loose but carefully structured sound – created by snappy guitars, captivating strings, rich horns, concise percussion and keys played with the appropriate amount of swagger – was incredibly distinct when they first emerged. Now that every third band “breaking” onto the scene is claiming some sort of retro lo-fi angle it is easy for them to get lost in the shuffle. However, with Lisbon the group proves what sets them apart is not only a dedication to their sonic aesthetic but also to the level of skill required to make it a true experience and not just a song.
The Walkmen isn’t a group for an anxious listener. You have to be fairly chill – or at least open to the prospect of becoming chill- really appreciate the levels of wonder their structure and delivery can reveal. Whether it is a cool track like “Torch Song” or “Stranded” which swagger with a steady confidence – achieved mainly by the interplay between the assertive guitars and solid percussion- or an epic ballad like “Blue As Your Blood”, whose full emotional weight is accomplished by the rise and fall of tautly executed instrumentals, you’re not going absorb the true wealth of The Walkman’s offering. Listen carefully and you will notice the mask Hamilton Leithauser’s affected croon places over the chorus of horns clean and simple bass line on “Stranded;” if the vocals were to be pulled away it would be an entirely different song. Or, close your eyes and take in the full soundscape being created with the waltz like “While I Shovel Snow.”
If you only give Lisbon a cursory listen you’re apt to find it a little tedious and too much like all the other “retro” bands out there; and I admit perhaps the greatest weakness of this album is that it doesn’t immediately set itself apart from the masses, or even their own previous work. However, if you make some time to really dig into the layers being offered up on Lisbon you’ll find yourself wrapped in astounding music.