A Hundred Miles Off (2006)

Image credit: The Walkmen: John Shearer/WireImage.com

On 2004's stellar Bows + Arrows, the Walkmen perfected a mix of stumbling balladry and vigorous rock anchored by frontman Hamilton Leithauser's creaky cry and the warm accents of a vintage organ. A Hundred Miles Off furthers the band's harsh, spiked-guitar side while sacrificing their former bleary-eyed bliss. The CD's austere instrumentation brings out the worst in Leithauser, whose once-endearing tunelessness becomes a whining deterrent on cuts like ''Danny's at the Wedding'' and the out-of-place hardcore-punk bid ''This Job Is Killing Me.'' Sixties-soul-flecked closer ''Another One Goes By'' shows the Walkmen can still ooze woozy cool, but it's not enough to salvage this jarring misfire.