The Recoys – “Rekoys”

THE RECOYS – Rekoys (Realistic Records/Troubleman Unlimited ’03): The Recoys were the pre-Walkmen band for vocalist Hamilton Leithauser and guitarist Peter Bauer, and this retrospective collection comprises the songs that appeared on their sole EP alongside others recorded for an intended full-length LP that never happened. Three of these were re-recorded and found their way onto Walkmen albums (“That’s the Punchline,” “The Blizzard of ’93,” and “Look Out Your Window,” the first two appearing on the Walkmen’s debut album and the last on a split EP with Calla). Even when they’re not carbon copies, the souls of several of these songs are rebirthed as different incarnations throughout the Walkmen’s discography. This is a much better picture of what the early Walkmen sounded like than Jonathan Fire*Eater, and it’s a testament to how much that band were under the purview of Leithauser. Keep in mind, though, that every weakness the Walkmen had, especially their early work (meaningless, indecipherable lyrics; occasionally excruciating crooning), is exacerbated on this compilation. That said, there are two rollicking rockers that really surprise: the harmonica-riffing “Shake Off Your Nerve” and the stuttering “Over Your Shoulder,” which, along with the three other Rekoys cuts that resurfaced later, provide evidence they were destined to become some sort of oddball garage rock success later in their careers. Note that the CD/streaming version contains three more songs than the vinyl version (“Look Out Your Window,” “Roy Orbison,” and some bizarre tribute by Lil’ Fighters). B PLUS