The Walkmen, "You & Me"

Billboard

If the Walkmen's last proper album, "A Hundred Miles Off," was a desperately rousing affair, "You & Me" is simply a desperate one—and that's no snub. Singer Hamilton Leithauser's chief concerns have always been loss, regret and the way life can unravel so slowly we hardly notice, but a fight-it-at-all-costs grit and thrilling vocals preserved the silver lining. Here, refracted through the lens of a lasting but troubled relationship, these themes become staggeringly heavy; the endless ebb and flow of the tide is a recurring lyrical motif reflected in the music, the band circling around Leithauser until he sounds as if he's drowning. It's muted, but intoxicating stuff, especially "Red Moon" and "On the Water." Though the album is at least three songs too long, Leithauser's words have never been more pointed, and the musicianship dazzles.