May 2nd
What kind of name is a Hamilton Leithauser? I will tell you what kind of name it is — it is an absolutely fucking amazing name! It oozes an American masculinity but with this safe small-midwestern-town-boy-next-door vibe. That aside — this song by him is a perfect example of a modern take on traditional American rock music. Simple melody, simple chords' progression, an expected (but welcome) tempo change at chorus. And a raw, powerful, gut-wrenching passion. I hear in this song some robust, but yet not mature Bruce Springsteen (like from Holmdel ’76 session), and positive comparison of any musician to the Boss is from me an ultimate praise.
Hamilton Leithauser was also a founder and a singer of The Walkmen, who recorded one of the quintessential and seminal songs of the early 2000s (and that song still holds its power today):
