The Walkmen - 'You & Me' (Fierce Panda) Released 29/09/08

Fiercely revered and frequently referenced as a ‘band’s band’ the return of New York’s The Walkmen is magnificent piece of work with sounds that will both warm and crush you. A measured shift away from previous the band’s more brutal past garage rock outings. Instead 'You & Me' takes a look back to the roots of their own raucous sound. Combining the sound of the early pioneers of rock with the band’s more delicate side, 'You & Me' creates a spectacular result with a sound both original and familiar.

A moody and cavernous recording, The Walkmen create an ambient lull only to pierce it with punchy. Opener ‘Donde Esta La Playe’ sets the mood perfectly with a dull thud of bass drum and tepid guitars interrupted only by crashing tin foil-esque cymbals. And for every relatively simple track there are those with plenty of layers. ‘In The New Year’ is like a lost work of The Kink’s; a retro organ ripped-up guitar tone captured with and pushed out in a strained voice.
 
Once the theme is set, 'You & Me' never strays far from arguably a very successful the formula. Instead, slight tweaks and variations act like a kaleidoscope on the sound. Vocals transform from the broad drawl of Ray Davies into the stout shrill of Bob Dylan that stands up strong against a horn section on ‘Red Moon’.

A tender album through its delicate craftsmanship it’s a prickly warm affair that avoids the pitfall of being morose or of becoming tedious at almost an hour in length. More miraculously though despite such a mature reinvention, 'You & Me' slides right into The Walkmen canon without any real force of the imagination.

It’s not the young, rough and ready stuff that bought their name to the top spot of the trendy indie crowd but 'You & Me' is the proof that The Walkmen can endure with style. Not the best place to discover the band, this is definitely one to pick up along the way.