photo by Dave Lichterman
New York’s The Walkmen have been known to switch up their style from album to album, but even hardened fans may not be prepared for the fruit of their recent in-studio performance. The five band members had already made the KEXP rounds supporting their 2010 LP Lisbon, which is presumably why they opted to go for something a little different this time around. Of course, no one was really expecting anything too out of their comfort zone, so it was much to everyone’s surprise when The Walkmen broke out a series of covers of the late Johnny Cash. Two songs were actually Johnny Cash songs (“Darlin’ Companion” and “Mr. Lonesome”), and the other two were “Johnny Cash versions” of songs by Bob Dylan (“Wanted Man”) and Irish songwriter Dominic Behan (“The Auld Triangle”). While Hamilton Leithauser’s croon is nowhere near the Man in Black’s signature baritone, the band still does an excellent job paying tribute to one of the great singer/songwriters of a generation. Watch now:
