Hundred Miles Off

The Walkmen | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 23, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Record Collection
• ASIN: B000F3AB1U
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #108,418 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The Walkmen's third album steers their ever challenging sonic textures into greener, more expansive landscapes and finds the fresh air there downright invigorating. A focused, more guitar-centric approach is notable throughout, with textures that span the jangly invitation of the Mexicali horn-spiced opener "Louisiana" to the droning, hypnotic buzz of "Good For You's Good For Me" and churning rhythms of "Boston"; reminders that the band's frequent nods to Joy Division are considerably more than mere affectation. Set against those textures, the nervous "Tenley Town" comes off as a surprisingly straightforward shot of the band's thrashy, garage-rooted past. Frontman Hamilton Leithauser frequently invokes a vocal persona that suggests Dylan on too much coffee and not enough sleep throughout. Yet he's limber enough to coax it into the supple, Caribbean-flavored lounge croon of "Brandy Alexander" and the brooding edge of "This Job Is Killing Me" before bringing the album full circle on a surprisingly tender cover of Quentin Stoltzfus's "Another One Goes By" that somehow evokes Nashville Skyline by way of Manchester '78. --Jerry McCulley

Product Description

The Walkmen have been solidifying their position as one of the most important bands in the alternative music community with their previous releases, "Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone" and "Bows And Arrows". Extensive touring, media prominence, critical acclaim, national modern rock radio airplay, and TV performances have helped establish the band in the music community. "A Hundred Miles Off" is their most solid effort yet. "Dylan meets Joy Division" - Uncut. "The dramatic epic sweep, the urgent, chiming guitars, the upright snap of the drums - it's all here" - Bust.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Hundred Miles ON, June 1, 2006

By 

The Last Person You'd Expect (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Hundred Miles Off (Audio CD)

So, the first of the Walkmen's albums to completely capture my interest is also their first to be near-universally panned by critics. Maybe its me who is backwards, or maybe these critics were hasty in searching for more of the powerful refrains of Bows and Arrows. It's interesting that those who drew comparisons between Dylan's voice and the lead-Walkmen's didn't take the analogy further. Dylan put his emphasis on content and his ardent vocal-styling was drawn from the passion of personal experience-- and not so much 'emoting' as 'expressing'. In this regard, the Walkmen have raised the bar from the somewhat run-of-the-mill Strokes-inspired Bows & Arrows, and forged a singular expression that separates them at last from their indie-garage roots.

Other than the ostentatiously Dylanesque album closer "Another One Goes By" (perhaps more appropriately compared to Mott the Hoople, with a 50's-ish pop-waltz backing), the single tracks rarely stray from the album's overall sound. The melodic style of the opening "Louisiana" sounds the most like a track off of Bows & Arrows, and its also the track that regularly excites many of the indie-rock critics. Only after that do we get a sense of how A Hundred Miles Off differs from its predecessor: the focus moves from the song-writing, from the melody, to the subtler vocal changes and to the lyrics themselves. The experience of the album is more complex, challenging and in many respects more intriguing than standard indie rock. But don't let me mislead you into thinking this is some kind of masterpiece-- though a worthwhile chapter in the Walkmen's short career so far and an entertaining, listenable album in itself, it probably won't go so far as to make the top ten or fifteen in the next end-of-year lists. In short, I think the Walkmen's latest offering solidifies their standing in the genre, proves they have real talent, and promises a few more remarkable albums in the future.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Yes, this is a departure, February 3, 2007

By 

J. Simon (Canton, Michigan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hundred Miles Off (Audio CD)

This album is very different from the band's first two. Pianos and organs still linger here and there, but they are not as prominently featured in these songs which are basically guitar-driven rock songs. Hamilton Leithauser's once incredible voice has morphed into a shirll screech lacking enunciation for many of the tracks. It's a pleasant break when he explores his lower range on "Brandy Alexander". I've heard Dylan comparisons, but maybe it's closer to Faces-era Rod Stewart. "Lousiana" "All Hands and the Cook" "Brandy Alexander" and especially "Another One Goes By" are excellent. A couple more tracks like these and this album could have been great. Overall, it's not as good as "Bows + Arrows" or "Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me is Gone" but not as bad as some critics have claimed. I'd give it a B (I'm a teacher).

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hundred Miles On, August 23, 2006

By 

Sammie (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hundred Miles Off (Audio CD)

The Walkmen just get better and better, and always seem to have a surprise up their sleeve. I certainly didn't expect an album like this, it's equally different but equally good to Bows and Arrows and Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me is Gone.

I can't even explain why I like this band so much, I've been listening to them for years and yet I can hardly name any of their songs. I simply listen to the entire albums over and over again like one giant song. That's a rare band!

Lou-WEEZ-e-ana opens a Hundred Miles Off and the strumming game is afoot. You just can't get more esoteric than that. Just when the incredibly spot-on drumming wins you over, suddenly it sounds as if Minor Threat is reborn with Tenley Town. Other songs sprinkled amidst the album remind one of a Tarantino soundtrack, or a '70s department store replete with popcorn smells in the air...you decide.

Perhaps this album is less accessible by the mainstream, especially compared to Bows and Arrows. We'll see. No matter, it's a keeper.