One of the most pleasant releases of the year is We’re All Young Together, the solo record of The Walkmen’s Walter Martin that came out this week. He celebrated the release of his album with a performance Friday night at Joe’s Pub. This was the first full show I’ve caught of Martin’s. not counting the brief performance he did at Housing Works back in March.
The Walkmen may be on an indefinite hiatus, but the bond between the band is still very strong. Martin’s band featured cousin/fellow Walkmen member Hamilton Leithauser on backup vocals, as well as Walkmen drummer Matt Barrick. Don’t get it twisted, this was Martin’s evening. He was very much front and center, starting the show by himself with a spoken word piece that worked into a new unreleased song that served to “introduce the band”, as Martin put it. Slowly the band trickled out to join him on stage and began to expand on the song with each added piece.
The rest of the evening delighted us with the songs from the album, which was really made for children in mind. Even so, the songs also translate well to older audience members. There are many strong ties to Americana/country music to be found in his songs, a very laid back vibe that makes his album the sort that’s perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon. A light pick-me-up of sorts. This mindset worked as well during his set, with a loose friendly vibe thanks to all the featured guests that joined him on stage during the performance, just as they do on record. Karen O performed “Sing To Me”, the amazing duet that is one of the best, and most sincere, songs of the year. Fellow Yeah Yeah Yeahs member Nick Zinner (who Martin went to college and played softball with) also showed up to perform guitar on “Rattlesnakes.” Kat Edmonson showed up for both “I-M-A-G-I-N-A-T-I-O-N” and the very Johnny Cash-like “Hey Sister.” The night missed Alec Ounsworth of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Matt Berninger of The National, but one can’t complain when Hamilton Leithauser is there helping out throughout the night.
Martin’s album is one of the most pleasant of the year, and this performance captured that and then some.
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