Bleep

Not content to loaf around while The Walkmen are on hiatus, frontman / guitarist Hamilton Leithauser assembled an indie all-star band to record this, his solo debut. Black Hours, produced by Vampire Weekend’s Rostam Batmanglij and featuring members of Fleet Foxes, The Shins, Dirty Projectors and The Walkmen among others, overflows with exuberant melodies, lavish instrumentation and ultimately endearing pop sensibilities. Highlights include joyous lead single ‘Alexandra’, piano ballad ‘St Mary’s County’, jangling jam ‘Bless Your Heart’ and power-pop closer ‘The Smallest Splinter’.