Like a bubbling cauldron of collectively impeccable tastes, the new record from Hamilton Liethauser + Rostam could work like a marriage made in indie rock heaven. If you didn’t know, one is Hamilton Leithauser, singer of cult New York heroes The Walkmen – a crooner whose distinctive wail remains one of the most intriguing in recent memory. The other is Rostam, who helped ignite a worldwide afro-pop party with his ex-band Vampire Weekend.
Their first album together finds the pair covering new ground, although musically the heart of ‘I Had A Dream That You Were Mine’ rests firmly in the past. From the doo-wop harmonies to the recurring echoes of Leonard Cohen and Dylan, it’s a debut that’s difficult to pin to a certain time, but never falls into retro pastiche. Heavily distorted drums crash in, amid slinking saloon keys and the occasional sax blast to create an altogether rough and ragged sounding record (occasionally to its advantage). There’s more than a few highlights well worth revisiting though. The twin opening of ‘A 1000 Times’, with its bold and raw swagger, and ‘Sick As A Dog’ prove a perfect introduction, whilst later the Sufjan-esque ‘A Peaceful Morning’ shows a more serene, earthier edge.
It’s a collaboration that works as there’s a sense of longing for the past from both parties, be it lyrically throughout from Leithauser, or musically in the retro styling brought by Rostam. A solid debut then, full of yearning and barstool tales.
7/10
Words: Clarke Geddes
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