The Walkmen were/are one of indie rock’s most intriguing bands — think a more energetic (and enjoyable) The National and a more polished Felice Brothers. Yeah, a pretty terrific outfit. One of the Walkmen’s men, Walter Martin has a solo album out this month called We’re All Young Together, an album earmarked as family or kindie or all-ages or whatever, but what it really is is a youthful extension of a sound that is both genuinely whimsical and entirely serious. More adjectives: tender, clever, sweet, funny, charming. And on it goes.
We’re All Young Together misses the mark at times, here and there, but it hits more often than not and songs like “Hey Sister,” “Sing To Me,” “The Beatles (When Ringo Shook His Mop),” and the title track exhibit the best of what’s on offer in the current golden age of family music: authenticity and respect, both contextually and musically. Our kids deserve brilliant music that speaks, in part, to where they’ve been thus far in their brief but brilliant lives, and Walter Martin does that, and more, rather beautifully.
Go see Walter Martin live this Saturday morning at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia. I’ll be there with my girls. Wouldn’t miss it for the world. Tickets are just 8 stinkin’ dollars. Cheaper than whatever crap kid’s movie is out there right now. See you there.
