The Walkmen
A Hundred Miles Off
Label: Record Collection
In stores: May 23, 2006

The Walkmen, the New York alternarock quintet who refuse to put out uncompromised crap, are back with their third album, A Hundred Miles Off.

Mariachi, island rhythms, wild west piano and haunting organ enhance the group’s antique guitar-driven sound, while singer Hamilton Leithauser’s raspy Waits-meets-Dylan vocal delivery defines the mood.

Almost every track on A Hundred Miles Off has a timeless quality — Did your parents slow dance to this song at prom? Did you spin this record while sneaking a joint in the basement home from college that one summer? Was this the 8-track soundtrack to your first road trip?

While the group is still hoping to strike it big, I’m not sure the single, “Lost in Boston,” will do it for them. However, while the album may be a hundred miles away from modern Top 40 radio, it’s spot-on for those who appreciate a solid rock album.

Oh, and someone stole their gourd.

Catch the Walkmen in Minneapolis at the 400 Bar on June 3rd.