The Walkmen - 'The Rat' (Record Collection)
5/5
By: Kari Wynn
You can feel it in the air - yes, the backlash against New York is well on its way. For the past three years, NYC bands have been dominating the UK press, airwaves and nearly every budding indie-nerd conversation. If only they weren't so goddamn good at it. If only they'd stop turning out such deeply interesting, completely rockin' music. Well, if it's backlash you're looking for, then please skip this review - it's certainly not going to start with The Walkmen, who've been underground darlings since 2002's 'Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone'.
And nor should it. The band's newest effort, 'The Rat', taken from their forthcoming sophomore effort, 'Bows and Arrows', is a giant, defiant step forward in sound and in scope and a full picture of where they intended to go in the first place.
Falling somewhere between the dark, frantic pace of Interpol and the city street echo of The Strokes, 'The Rat' builds into a sweeping, angry, guitar-driven frenzy. It's an indictment of a bad relationship gone worse, and an aggressive swing to make it step back and keep the f**k away. 'You've got a nerve to be asking on favours, you've got a nerve to be calling my number...' oozes completely charmless indignation - the ultimate bitchslap to the one who wronged you.
If this is the direction The Walkmen are going, the underground won't be able to contain them for much longer. Oh NYC... so much to answer for. The backlash stands at bay yet again.
Artists in this article: The Walkmen
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