Heaven (The Walkmen Album)

''Heaven'' is the sixth and final studio album by American indie rock band The Walkmen, released on May 29, 2012, on Fat Possum Records and Bella Union.

Recording

''Heaven'' was recorded between November 2011 to March 2012 in Seattle and in the woods of Washington.Battan, Carrie
The Walkmen at Work on New Album
Pitchfork Media. 7 November 2011. Retrieved 30 May 2012.Pelly, Jean
The Walkmen Complete New Album, Celebrate by Posting Silly U2 Covers Medley
Pitchfork Media. 8 March 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2012. The album was produced by Phil Ek and featured contributions from Fleet Foxes' Robin Pecknold and Morgan Henderson and Cocteau Twins' Simon Raymonde.Comaratta, Len
Interview: Pete Bauer (of The Walkmen)
Consequence of Sound. 24 May 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2012.Pelly, Jenn
The Walkmen Announce New Album
Pitchfork Media. 29 March 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2012. The band wanted to work with Phil Ek because of his work on '' Helplessness Blues.'' Hamilton Leithauser described the recording process for ''Heaven'' as the band's easiest one yet.Fitzmaurice, Larry
Listen: New Walkmen: "Heaven"
Pitchfork Media. 16 April 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2012. Like with other more recent Walkmen albums, guitarist Paul Maroon wrote song outlines for the rest of the band to fill in the parts and lyrics.Wright, Mic
Interview: The Walkmen
musicOMH. Retrieved 1 June 2012.

Hamilton Leithauser described ''Heaven'' as "lush-sounding" and "big and optimistic and fun and grand." The album's title was meant to reflect those vibes. Frank Sinatra heavily influenced the singing on the album.Murnick, Carolyn
The Walkmen’s Front Man on His New Album, Working in the Woods, and Frank Sinatra’s Influence
Vulture.com. 30 May 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2012.

Release

The album was originally going to be released on June 5, 2012, but the released date was pushed forward to May 30, 2012.Battan, Carrie
The Walkmen's Heaven Gets New Release Date
Pitchfork Media. 25 April 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2012. The first single released from ''Heaven,'' "Heaven," was released on April 16, 2012.The Walkmen – “Heaven”
Stereogum. 16 April 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2012. A second song from the album, "Heartbreaker," was released on April 18, 2012.The Walkmen – “Heartbreaker”
Stereogum. 18 April 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2012. A third track from the album, "We Can't Be Beat," was released on May 8, 2012.The Walkmen – “We Can’t Be Beat”
Stereogum. 8 May 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2012. On May 20, 2012, the album was streamed in its entirety on NPR Music.Thompson, Stephen
First Listen: The Walkmen, 'Heaven'
NPR Music. 20 May 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2012.

On May 30, 2012, a music video for the track "Heaven" was released. The music video, directed by Alex Southam and produced by Pitchfork.tv, consisted of archival footage and photographs of the band.Minsker, Evan
Video: The Walkmen: "Heaven"
Pitchfork Media. 30 May 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2012.

The album's title track was used during the final minutes of How I Met Your Mother's series finale, " Last Forever".

Reception

''Heaven'' was released to critical acclaim.

AllMusic's Heather Phares gave the album a positive review, writing " . en if it's not the band's most cohesive work, ''Heaven'' comes across as a more or less triumphant culmination of the Walkmen's first decade, and the fact that happiness fits the band better than anyone could have expected is just a welcome bonus." In another positive review, Sarah McCarty of '' Paste'' wrote that while the later tracks were weaker, "''Heaven'' is a testament to The Walkmen’s triumph. After a decade, disappointment no longer possesses the power to defeat them. The Walkmen survive. They can’t be beat." '' The A.V. Club''s Steven Hyden, referring to how all the band members were fathers, wrote "''Heaven'' is a dad-rock record in a different, truer sense. It’s an album of big adult themes: the weight of responsibility, the realization that romantic infatuation is fleeting and probably bullshit, the power of fidelity and loyalty to outlast momentary sensation and passion." Hyden concluded: "After 10 years and seven albums, ''Heaven'' finds The Walkmen in a better place."

While still giving a positive review, '' PopMatters'' Matthew Fiander criticized ''Heaven'' for being " .a bit too schmaltzy," writing, "You can’t fault Leithauser for singing so sweetly to his daughter on 'Song for Leigh' or to his best friend on 'Heaven', but the declarations of those songs feel insular, only for that one person, and the rest of us are left to merely listen in." Ben Schumer of '' Under the Radar'' also criticized the album in an otherwise positive review, writing "After 10 years together, a band typically grows more polished and mature, but it's difficult not to feel that something essential and elemental to The Walkmen's aesthetic is missing from most of ''Heaven'' - that palpable sense of urgency on display throughout their catalogue is on display far too little."

The album was listed eighth on Stereogum's list of top 50 albums of 2012.

Track listing

All tracks written by The Walkmen.
#"We Can't Be Beat" – 4:43
#"Love Is Luck" – 3:26
#"Heartbreaker" – 3:15
#"The Witch" – 3:33
#"Southern Heart" – 3:01
#"Line by Line" – 5:05
#"Song for Leigh" – 3:38
#"Nightingales" – 4:03
#"Jerry Jr.'s Tune" – 1:33
#"The Love You Love" – 3:07
#"Heaven" – 4:26
#"No One Ever Sleeps" – 2:42
#"Dreamboat" – 4:35

Personnel

The following people contributed to ''Heaven:''Heaven - The Walkmen: Credits
Allmusic. Retrieved 30 May 2012.

The Walkmen

* Matt Barrick
* Peter Bauer
* Paul Maroon
* Walter Martin
* Hamilton Leithauser

Additional musicians

* Robin Pecknold - backing vocals (''1, 9, 12'' and ''13'')
* Morgan Henderson - additional percussion (''11'')
* Victoria Parker - strings (''3'' and ''6'')
* Jen Kozel - strings (''3'' and ''6'')
* Erika Pierson - strings (''3'' and ''6'')
* Jenn Glenn - strings (''3'' and ''6'')

Recording personnel

* Greg Calbi - Mastering
* Phil Ek - Engineer, Mixing, Producer
* Jonathan Eshak - Management
* Arno Frugier - Photography
* Morgan Henderson - Percussion
* Steve Huyne - Make-Up
* Jen Kozel - Strings
* Tamara McNaughton - Hair Stylist
* Cameron Nicklaus - Assistant Engineer
* Victoria Parker - Strings
* Elizabeth Spiridakis - Design
* Jerry Streeter - Assistant Engineer

Charts

References

External links

Fat Possum Record's page on ''Heaven.''

{{Authority control

The Walkmen albums
2012 albums
Bella Union albums
Fat Possum Records albums
Albums produced by Phil Ek
Albums recorded at Bear Creek Studio