Lost Charms

The Walkmen “Don’t Forget Me” – It’s hard to imagine a song better suited for the Walkmen than Harry Nilsson’s “Don’t Forget Me,” since it allows Walter Martin to base an entire song around his trademark rickety old upright piano, and Hamilton Leithauser gets to play to his strengths as the voice of a nostalgic, down-and-out scoundral. The performance doesn’t stray far from the original recording from Pussy Cats, but it’s more ragged and lacks the additional sentiment of a syrupy string arrangement, leaving Leithauser to sound lonelier and perhaps a little less sympathetic. Nilsson had an incredible gift for anchoring potent and relatable emotions in highly specific lyrics, and “Don’t Forget Me” is a perfect example, a song written from the perspective of a despondent drunk who just can’t get over his ex-wife that cuts deep into the listener as he pleads for the validation of being present in her memories, regardless of whether they are good or bad. (Click here to buy it from Insound.)

Tanya Donelly “New England” – I admit that I lost track of Donelly’s career in recent years, but it was a small surprise for me to discover that she’s gone a bit alt-country, though I guess that’s the case for a hell of a lot of ex-indie songwriters of her generation. It’s a fairly logical progression for her, and definitely an intelligent application of her voice, which has grown fuller and more commanding over the years. “New England” kicks off her new album, and eases the listener into the country sound gently, starting off as more of a rocking ballad before bringing in the more overt c&w moves later in the song. Unsurprisingly, it’s my favorite, but not as much because I don’t have as much use for the quieter songs but more for how its melody flatters Donelly’s voice, and the way she comes together with the chords on the verses and refrain to create this portentous feeling that has more to do with her best songs with Belly and the Throwing Muses than any typical country signifier. (Click here to buy it from Tanya Donelly’s official site.)