NYC's The Walkmen formed a few years ago, taking three former members of Jonathan Fire*Eater, a group who were often compared to the unhinged noises of The Bithday Party. Only now has their material crossed to the UK shores but their timing seems appropriate considering the rehabilitation of post-punk led by the likes of Interpol. It is with this group that The Walkmen share many of their sounds - particularly on the widescreen 'French Vacation' - but there are quite a few interesting new slants to their music. Firstly, they have a frontman Hamilton Leithauser whose drunken bellowing adds a mentally unstable yet deeply passionate element; the group have also mastered a reverberating production used to particular great effect with a "wonky" piano (the title track, 'The Blizzard Of 96', 'We've Been Had'), creating an atmosphere that is haunting in the manner of a black and white movie. On an album which celebrates imperfections rather than tries to hide them, there is something quite thrillingly original on show here.