Nilsson, Schmilsson

THIS SONG DEFIES my every attempt to describe it gracefully, it's too big, it's too shameless, it's too dirty. And it sounds like this is what the Walkmen were born to do. As an improvement on the obstreperous A Hundred Miles Off, there's now a tenderness in Leithauser's always-severe croon, and a sway that only complements the band's formidable swagger. It may be Nilsson's song (or Jimmy Cliff's, really), but I can't get past the avidity and the confidence, and that's unmistakably the Walkmen.

The Walkmen - Many Rivers To Cross [mp3]

Visit the Walkmen online, and purchase their music here. This song will appear on the forthcoming "Pussy Cats" starring The Walkmen.

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Is this cheesy? I like the bluegrass covers of Modest Mouse over at the DIY Rockstar.