he big question that music fans are asking, as we get our feet wet in 2004, is ?Do we really need all of these NYC garage rock revival bands?? When I pose that question to myself, I can't quite come up with a clear answer. This weekend I figured I would see if NYC's The Walkmen could help me answer it. So I sat back and played their latest release Bows & Arrows .

As the CD begins, I realize that I have never listened to the first Walkmen album, Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me is Gone , so comparisons may be lost. I have however, heard one of their songs on a Saturn commercial as well as couple of other random tracks, so I am familiar with their sound. ?What's in it for me? are the opening lyrics of the CD, in a pretty mellow psychedelic jaunt. Quite honestly, an odd way to start it off. The Walkmen waste no time after that. ?The Rat? is ?perhaps' their first single/video and ?perhaps' rips off a lot of old 80's songs. A driving beat and bassline make you wonder just where you heard this song before. The vocals on this track are wild and loud, but that is just false advertising. The majority of songs are subdued and more what I expected this disc to sound like. Layers upon layers of reverb and static sitting on top of vocalist Hamilton Leithauser's almost Dylanesque voice make this disc more enjoyable than anything by their counterparts, The Strokes. A wider range of songwriting and better vocals make this disc pretty dynamic -- for a garage rock CD that is. In ? 138 th Street ?, Leithauser literally almost echoes Bob Dylan. The song is a sort of lonely ballad that would likely sound great closing out a live set.

The 11 song disc ends with the title track ?Bows and Arrows?. This song is my favorite of the bunch because it has the most range, adding a keyboard and tambourine for good measure. The vocals reach a climactic end with ?I hope some day, girl, we'll get along?. This kind of ending definitely leaves you with a good taste in your mouth.

No, the Walkmen may not be the next White Stripes or Strokes, but with Bows And Arrows, they are certainly paving their way to their own fanbase, and most likely a few more records.