By Tyler Fassnacht

“You’re one of us, or one of them,” cries Hamilton Leithauser on “Juveniles,” the opening track to the Walkmen’s new record, Lisbon. After six albums, the Walkmen have created a specific sound, unique to themselves, so if you haven’t joined as a fan yet, Lisbon won’t change anyone’s mind because it stays awfully true to that sound, and I say that as a good thing.

Following 2008’s fantastic, You & Me, Lisbon does wonders feeding fans’ hunger for the Walkmen’s signature music: frantic rhythmic drumming, sparse reverbed guitars and Leithauser’s voice, which still pierces when he wails and glazes like honey when he moans. The album, however, holds its own as a really great record. One thing you notice is that in general the album is more upbeat, musically. There isn’t a “Donde Esta La Playa,” or a “What’s in it For Me” on the album, in fact, even the ballads sound full and trudge along at tempos you can tap your foot to. Such as the wonderful, brooding, “Blue as Your Blood,” which starts with a two note progression being picked on guitar, then adds rim hits for percussion and complimentary bass , eventually being enough music for vocals to float on. The track remains dark until strings and horns rise up from a lull and quiet down for Leithauser to take over with “the sky is blue as your blood.”

Eclecticism has always been a strong suit for the Walkmen, like on the first single from the album, “Stranded,” that has warm mariachi horns as a prominent part of the waltzing track. The rest of the album also has touches of such instrumentation emphasizing that they are much more than just a rock band, however they can and do rock. Tracks like “Angela Surf City” and “Victory” have pummeling drums by madman Matt Barrick, backing yelps and pumping organs. Another thing that makes this album stick out for me in the Walkmen’s discography, is how it flows. Songs bleed into each other, making the album sound more concise as a whole, which isn’t something they do so well every time.

Lyrically, Leithauser touches on similar subjects like heartbreak, youth and loneliness, but it all still seems far from the depression of “the Rat.” He has problems, but you know, he’ll get over it. It leaves the listener feeling hopeful, especially with closing track, “Lisbon,” as it drearily fades out.

In the end, the Walkmen have successfully released another great record, which means they get to tour, giving fans a chance to see an amazing band sound even better live. Oh and how convenient, the Walkmen will be coming to The Barrymore on October 14th, with emotional-punk duo Japandroids opening, for a night of energetic, charismatic live music.

Buy: The Walkmen – Lisbon