Label: Glassnote
Released: 7th March 2025
It’s surprisingly rare that an artist sounds like they’re having the time of their life while pushing themselves to new creative heights. Hamilton Leithauser’s ‘This Side of the Island’ radiates this rare combination of joy and artistic ambition, delivering a collection that feels both accomplished and delightfully unrestrained.
The former Walkmen frontman has always possessed a distinctive voice, but here he wields it with newfound freedom and playfulness. Opening track ‘Fist of Flowers’ sets the tone perfectly – technically accomplished yet infectiously fun, it showcases Leithauser’s ability to balance complexity with pure entertainment. The production, helmed alongside Aaron Dessner, employs a fascinating triple-bass technique that gives many tracks a rich, full-bodied foundation while maintaining an airy, dynamic feel.
‘Burn the Boats’ stands as one of the album’s finest moments, elegant and intricate without feeling overwrought. Leithauser’s trademark narrative style finds him mining the peculiar poetry of urban life, using Manhattan’s Lower East Side as both setting and metaphor. When he declares “I said you’ll love me again… and I was right” on ‘I Was Right’, it lands with the perfect mixture of swagger and vulnerability that has always marked his best work.
Not every experiment lands perfectly – ‘Ocean Roar’ ventures perhaps a touch too far into noodly jazz territory, for example. But even these moments speak to Leithauser’s admirable willingness to push boundaries. The title-track closes things out with a raw honesty that feels earned, managing to be both grand and intimate in the same breath.
What’s most striking throughout is how the album maintains its sense of adventure; ‘This Side of the Island’ stands as a testament to the rewards of artistic fearlessness coupled with genuine craft. Leithauser has delivered something special here: a record that celebrates the pure pleasure of making music while pushing forward into new territory.
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