On that windy, chilly second day of the Outsidelands Festival, I watched as Hamilton Leithauser screamed and crooned into his microphone, vein bulging in his neck. It was a sight I've always envisioned while listening to albums by The Walkmen. Leithauser doesn't swoon or whisper through songs, quite the contrary. He howls and for lack of a better word, shrieks adding a level of intense urgency in their songs.
"In the New Year" is a spectacular song off of their return to form album, You & Me. Leithauser croons in his raspy voice, "Oh, I'm still living/ At the old address" before the organ, bass and drums kick in and swells around the brittle sounding guitar. Evoking a cold winter day, "In the New Year" is chock full of vivid and evocative lyrics. The music itself is wonderful and just sends chills down my spine. Despite the cold weather associations, the song retains a rather optimistic note: "I know that it's true/ It's gonna be a good year." Even better is the send off of "I'm almost home/ I'll see you in the New Year." Bittersweet optimism never found a better song.
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