New York, NY (Top40 Charts) On May 5th, Walter Martin, lyricist, co-writer, and multi-instrumentalist of The Walkmen, will release his new album My Kinda Music via his own imprint Ile Flottante Music. As the second installment of his Juvenile Series, it follows 2014's award winning and critically acclaimed album We're All Young Together. Set to a rollicking musical backdrop, My Kinda Music tells vivid stories of music-making, family history, and self-discovery. Today he released new song "The Everglades" which premiered this morning on Consequence of Sound who called it "a playful little number with giddy piano and a big 'hey, ho!' chorus."
"When I was a kid, my family would drive to Florida for spring break every year," Walter told Consequence of Sound. "As we drove through the Everglades, I remember my dad telling us that the reason there were shredded tires on the side of the road was that truck drivers would go to sleep in their trucks and panthers would eat the entire truck and the driver, but they couldn't digest the tires, so they were all that remained. This song was inspired by the joy of family road trips and the fear of being eaten by panthers."
Lead single "Hey Matt" is also out now which features The National's Matt Berninger who gives Walter singing lessons and the two friends discuss a recent (and real) rejection by his idol Randy Newman. The song has been featured on Pitchfork, Consequence of Sound, American Songwriter, Paste, Stereogum and NPR's All Songs Considered who called it "a wonderfully fun song" and stated "You don't need kids to enjoy this record." The second single "Trip on a Ship" debuted on Billboard and finds Walter and special guest Laura Gibson singing to each other about the complications of an innocent crush.
My Kinda Music features Martin's signature knockabout and quirky sound filled with delicate musical moments, but his focus is clearly on the stories. His vocals are the centerpiece of the album where he's developed a plainspoken narrative approach that mixes genuine emotion and absurd humor in an entirely natural way. In addition to Berninger and Gibson, other notable contributors include mixers Phil Ek (Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses) and Gabe Wax (War on Drugs, Beirut), both of whom put their unique stamps on the tracks they mixed. Watch the album trailer below:
"["Hey Matt"] is a wonderfully fun song...you don't need kids to enjoy this record." - NPR's All Songs Considered
"Martin's music has a knack for bustling with life, and this new material is no different, filled to the brim with contagious, upbeat energy." - Stereogum
"This album is shaping up to be a beloved children's book in album form." - Consequence of Sound
Martin's interest in narration and the art of storytelling goes back to his childhood. "I'll never forget being a kid listening to Garrison Keillor's Lake Wobegon Days on long family car trips. I'd be lying in the nauseating back seat of our minivan transfixed by the warmth and humor of his stories. And up in the front my parents would be experiencing the exact same thing. My goal with this album is to induce that same kind of wonderful family hypnosis."
My Kinda Music follows 2014's We're All Young Together which garnered much critical praise, produced a long-standing #1 single on Sirius XM's family station, and included songs featured in major advertising campaigns for iPhone and Android. Additionally, We're All Young Together won a Parents' Choice Award and earned Martin an invitation to the Sydney Opera House where he performed the album in its entirety.
Track List:
01) The Wishing Well
02) Trip on a Ship (feat. Laura Gibson)
03) Hey Matt (feat. Matt Berninger)
04) Family Tree
05) Child, The Man Said
06) My Kinda Music
07) The Everglades
08) Where'd You Go Uncle Joe?
09) Marco Polo
10) It's a Dream (Night Version)
