Eight and a Half

"What's in It for Me?" (the Walkmen cover)

BY Gregory AdamsPublished Mar 30, 2012

Remember a few weeks back when the Walkmen uploaded their painful, if slightly hysterical, U2 medley? Well, karma's a bitch, as Toronto's Eight and a Half have delivered a cover of the American indie outfit's "What's in It for Me?", from 2004's Bows & Arrows, and it's kind of crummy.

The ragtag feel of the organ-driven original has been glossily updated by Eight and a Half with a glitchy beat and smoothed-out, soft-rock whispers that lack the sloppy passion possessed by Walkmen frontman Hamilton Leithauser. There's no harm in trying something new, but the ostensibly forward-thinking attempt just doesn't deliver.

You can download the cover here via Spin.

As previously reported, the Walkmen deliver their next album Heaven through Fat Possum on June 5, while Eight and a Half issue their self-titled full-length debut April 10 through Arts & Crafts.

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