The Walkmen
Exodus, Thursday, March 18 Like a jilted lover begging for forgiveness with every ounce of passion he has inside, Hamilton Leithauser paced onstage in a energetic feud with words, screaming into the mic, back arched and head thrown back. The Walkmen frontman let everything flow as he grasped the Exodus full house. As impassioned as their Record Collection release this year, Bows & Arrows, the NYC via D.C. act has staked its claim on an emotive rock far more complicated and deeper than the norm. Matt Barrick ripped out complex beats that complemented Leithauser’s raspy, immediate vocals perfectly. His driving rhythms and necessary taps are what pull the band from the sea of garage rockers. It’s impossible to stand still. As the fivepiece tore through “The Rat” halfway through the oh-so-short set, the crowd jerked and reeled as if they, too, were on the roller coaster created by Walter Martin’s oscillating organs and Barrick’s unstoppable pounding. The night culminated in closer and recent single “Little House of Savages,” a mastery of percussion, melody, and vocals that sent the audience into a frenzy. “Somebody’s waiting for me at home; I should have known,” the lover lamented. We all should’ve known.This article appears in March 26 • 2004.