The Walkmen - Lisbon

Something about The Walkmen’s newest album just feels empty. While it’s not really a happy album, it’s definitely not a sad album. There’s just something in the arrangements that really leave you wanting something more. The Walkmen are somewhere between Beach House and Local Natives, musically speaking. The slow, almost nonchalant guitar lines are accompanied by a lead vocal line that is just depressing. Even on a song called Victory they sound pretty defeated, and that’s never a good sign. Not to be unfair to The Walkmen, a good band with some pretty decent albums (08 release You & Me, I’m talking to you), they’re good at what they do. The chords progressions, the entrances of melodic lines, the variety, it’s all very well-done. It’s just I can’t ever find myself really excited to listen to this album. I fail to understand how anybody can get pumped when a song from Lisbon pops up on shuffle. Sure, the music is pretty, Walkmen are a good band, Lisbon is just... boring.
And my problem with that is that The Walkmen aren’t that kind of band. It’s not like Lisbon is just a slow album and I’ve just been impatient. Lisbon is slow and boring. Yet somehow, I look forward to The Walkmen’s next try and I think you should, too, since, I mean, it is some well-written stuff.
A conflict of great but often boring songs leaves Lisbon earning just below average.



-Owen