My new resolution this week is to either find where I lost my copy of Bows + Arrows years ago or buy a new copy. Holy jeez is that thing fantastic. And though I didn’t really understand at the time, that record left a huge impact on me when I was still in the beginnings of my “good music discovery” phase. But really, it’s a fantastic record that I haven’t heard in at least two years and that breaks my heart.

But what made my heart swell was hearing the Walkmen blast through a fantastic performance of “Little House of Savages” at Monolith. Sure the rain had reached a peak heavy enough to be called a storm and sure Hamilton’s hands were in his pockets half the time (see above), but it was fantastic.

Maybe the biggest reason for my surprise is that I’ve pretty much fallen off the Walkmen wagon. The last record was nice, but did little to heal the wounds of the LP prior to it. Truthfully if it wasn’t for their cover of the entirety of Nilsson’s Pussy Cats (huge fan), I wouldn’t really have had anything of theirs that I loved since Bows + Arrows. Maybe I haven’t given them enough of a chance or maybe I’m still unwilling to accept that they’ve moved on past the sound I fell in love with, but I’m no longer as enamored as I once was. But the fact remains that they’re a really solid live act. They’ve got a catalogue full of great material and the chops with which to perform it. I mean, the fact that Hamilton has never busted a vocal cord (like Nilsson), is just incredible. The guy sings like he’s in excruciating pain, but also really enjoying what he does. It’s a marvel.