For his first post-Walkmen project – the Brooklyn/Philly rockers are on ‘extreme hiatus’ –  frontman Hamilton Leithauser has assembled an all-star support cast, including members of Vampire Weekend, Fleet Foxes and The Shins (production is by VW’s Rostam Batmanglij).
But the record is all about Leithauser and his soulful vocals. One of indie-dom’s best singers, he deploys his gifts with relish, crooning his way through piano driven ‘5 AM’ and delivering a decent Tom Waits impersonation on The Silent Orchestra. There’s lots of variety too: he duets with Dirty Projectors’ Amber Coffman on ‘St Mary’s County’ and harks back to The Walkmen on ‘I Don’t Need Anyone’, co-written with old band-mate Paul Maroon.
Leithauser often expressed frustration at The Walkmen’s failure to emulate the commercial impact of The Strokes and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Stepping away from his life’s work, however, appears to have lifted some of the weight from the Leithauser’s shoulders: while there’s a lot of darkness here, he sounds braver, less burdened than before. Don’t be surprised if Black Hours brings the success he’s long craved.

OUT NOW.