Upon listening to Lisbon, the sixth full-length album from Brooklyn indie rock veterans The Walkmen, the first thing one will notice is how sunny their sound has become. Those familiar with their earlier work will note that Lisbon moves away from the upright piano present in so many older Walkmen songs, in favor of shuffling tom-tom beats and sauntering reverb guitar.
These elements depict a more refined Walkmen, a band that has crawled out of the rock clubs of New York City and washed up on the white beaches of old-world Portugal. Shedding the leather jackets of post-punk and donning sunglasses, The Walkmen make the most of this sonic shift, managing to remain grounded in their old sound while pushing the boundaries of what minimalist instrumentation can accomplish.
The band draws on a number of new influences for this record, including '60s surf rock and rockabilly. Album opener ""Juveniles"" illustrates this new source material, while ""Blue as Your Blood"" brings to mind a freight engine rolling through the heartland of America with its chugging train beat. Other tracks utilize mariachi horns, lending credence to the name of this album. One such track, ""Stranded,"" opens with a woozy horn line that gradually builds and recedes, an ebb and flow that sucks you into the emotional roller-coaster ride that is the lyrics of Hamilton Leithauser: ""What's the story with my old friends,"" he croons. ""Drunk and lonely how I love ‘em all / Why does the rain fall / When I'm stranded and I'm starving.""
""Victory"" represents the most complete merging of the new sunny style The Walkmen have adopted for Lisbon and the brutal assault choruses of old that characterized ""All the People Who Pretended to Like Me Are Gone"" and ""Bow + Arrows."" The softer verses are composed of reverb-heavy guitars and a rim-shot drum line, providing healthy a contrast to the bombastic drumming and ascending distorted guitars of the chorus. Leithauser's voice is given ample room to soar to new heights, and where in the past it was held back by the rafters of their lo-fi production, it breaks free of all restraints and turns into a soulful, punch-drunk wail reminiscent of the wide-eyed manic howl of Julian Casablancas or Jim Morrison.
The production on Lisbon is superb in the sense that it lets every instrument shine without overpowering any other components of the songs. Decidedly minimalist, the drums, bass and guitar interplay, complemented by the addition of vocal harmonies and the occasional organ, create a parallel between The Walkmen and fellow indie rock veterans Spoon. This style of instrumentation is present on many Lisbon tracks, including ""All My Great Designs"" and ""Torch Song."" Another album standout, ""Woe is Me,"" employs a vocal melody that will stick in your head for hours after you hear it, completing the fatal combination of tonal perfection and melodic familiarity. Ending with an infectious guitar riff that brings to mind Belle and Sebastian's heavier moments, this is one track not to be skipped by anyone with an ear for pop music.
Although the songs of Lisbon don't include a brutal smash and grab song such as ""The Rat,"" they flow together very well and arguably constitute the best and most complete full album listening experience The Walkmen have recorded to date. A great record for playing before bed or in the car as you set out for sunnier coasts and new experiences, the last chords of Lisbon fading out will leave you longing for more of The Walkmen's deeply affecting songwriting, and you would not be alone in playing the entire thing over again. A highly listenable and profound record, this album is a celebration of The Walkmen's career-to-date and an indication of the ever-expanding sonic range they can and will employ in the future.
