Last fall, after a fruitful 14-year career, the members of The Walkmen collectively hung up their hats. They had grown out of their mid-life crises and settled into separate but similar periods of stabilization. They had kids now; they were family men. I assume the band disbanded simply because they were satisfied and had nothing left to say.
Hamilton Leithauser was the sole voice of The Walkmen, and due to the mere existence of his debut, Black Hours, it’s pretty clear that he isn’t done talking. But the question of whether or not he actually has anything to say is another matter entirely. No, Black Hours isn’t a bad album—not even close. Rather, it sounds like a man going through the motions, a pretty pleasant trip over 10 tracks that leaves your memory as soon as the final song fades out.
The Walkmen’s best work formed out of their desire to escape. Much of their mission involved learning to cope with being stuck with the skin you’re in. On Black Hours, Leithauser feels cozy in his environment, displayed prominently by his always strong, newly charming vocals. The music is relaxed as well: the best songs sounds like recent The Walkmen material but for an older generation, and the rest of the tracks come across as directionless B-side material. There’s a song on Black Hours’ back-half that’s titled “I Retired.” And this record, an aimless and bland listen, makes me question why Hamilton didn’t.
Black Hours