The Walkmen: Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

What a brilliant summation of the state of alternative rock. With one snappy title (take that, Fiona Apple) the Walkmen, founded by three former members of the now extinct Jonathan Fire*Eater, kiss goodbye the media attention, next-big-thing status and free food that went with being in a Nineties alterna-band. With their new incarnation, they're now ready to go back to making rough-edged, weird-as-they-wanna be music, regardless of whether or not you're paying attention. But you should. The Walkmen -- Walter Martin, Paul Maroon and Matt Barick on keys, guitar and drums, joined by ex-Recoys vocalist Hamilton Leithhauser and bassist Peter Bauer -- have a sound all their own; a heady mixture of vocal drama, shimmering organs, snaky guitar lines, and drums which leap out at you at unexpected moments. Most of the tracks, like "We've Been Had" and "I'm Never Bored" are woozy with atmospheric keyboards. And the best thing is, you don't have to pretend to like it, to like it.

EVAN SCHLANSKY
(March 26, 2002)