Tag: The National

Posted in Album Reviews

The National – Cherry Tree EP (2004)

Posted on by Michael

In between their second and third albums, The National released the Cherry Tree EP. The first three songs mention drinking. “Wasp Nest” tells someone that “you’re cursing up a storm in a cocktail dress”, chaos over an acoustic guitar. “All The Wine” would also appear on next years Alligator album and “All Dolled-Up in Straps” adds some mournful strings that would appear a few more times.

The title track adds some intense drumming on a song where singer Matt Berninger sings that “loose lips sink ships” and “About Today” is an emotional song, asking “how close am I to losing you?”.  The album then closes with the addition of Padma Newsome on the acoustically inclined “Reasonable Man (I Don’t Mind)”.  The Dessner and Devendorf brothers along with Matt Berninger crafted several really good songs for this 28 minute sampler.  For many fans thinking of digging deeper into the catalogue, this is more representative of their later sound and could act as their true debut.

8/10

Posted in Album Reviews

The National – Alligator (2005)

Posted on by Michael

The National’s third album Alligator is where the band took a massive leap forward to the sound that they would take to a much wider audience a few years later. For the first couple of albums, the musicianship lead by the Dessner and Davendorf brothers was the main while lyrist Matt Berninger found his unique voice. On Alligator, Berninger lyrics add much intrigue to several of the songs and show his growth as a musical storyteller.

A solid backbeat from Bryan Davendorf holds the lower end of the whimsical “Looking For Astronauts”. “Secret Meeting” sees some melodic guitars along with a catchy chorus.  “Karen” is a particular highlight.  Spoken from the point of view of a scattered brain alcoholic, it’s a mysterious story where Berninger sings – “idle, idle, idle, idle, protect the nest, protect the title”.

The band lets loose and rocks out on several tracks including the anthemic single “Lit Up” and the pent up fury of “Abel” where Berninger screams repeatedly, “My mind’s not right, my mind’s not right!”. “Baby, We’ll Be Fine” has an interesting dream verse about running into your boss before the refrain “I’m so sorry for everything” repeatedly appears. The album closes with the somewhat political “Mr. November” who promises “I won’t f*** us over”. Alligator is a really good album by a band on the verge of a breakthrough and on the cusp of indie rock greatness.

8/10

Posted in Album Reviews

The National – Laugh Track (2023)

Posted on by Michael

A surprise second album in 2023 from The National caught everyone off guard.  Songs originally written/recorded around the time of the First Two Pages of Frankenstein album were later honed and further worked on during the band’s summer tour the recorded with producer Tucker Martine.  The immediate difference between the two albums is the more extensive use of Bryan Devendorf on live drums vs the programmed drums on Frankenstein.  This immediately brings life to songs like “Dead End (Paul’s In Pieces)”  and “Turn off the House”.

A major talking point upon the release of Frankenstein was the writers block that Berninger suffered when trying to write lyrics for the album. That narrative doesn’t exist here, the album doesn’t sound as weighted down.  Guests make appearances including Bon Iver on the very good “Weird Goodbyes” where “the sky is leaking/the windshield’s crying”.  A return of Phoebe Bridgers who’s voice blends beautifully with Berninger’s on the title track, an album highlight.

The fussy strings and synths underneath “Alphabet City” add a layer of tension. The band extends tracks like “Space Invader” that turns into a helluva jam and album closer “Smoke Detector”, a menacing track filled with stream of conscious lyrics.   Not all of it works, like the Roseanne Cash track “Crumble” but in the end, Laugh Track is a welcome addition to their 2023 releases.  It works in tandem with Frankenstein and gives the band several more great songs to draw from. 

7.5/10

Posted in Album Reviews

The National – First Two Pages of Frankenstein (2023)

Posted on by Michael

While the band has not released anything since 2019’s I Am Easy to Find, members of The National have been busy with solo albums and working extensively with other artists. Anytime the band gets back together is a reason for high anticipation.  And so arrives First Two Pages of Frankenstein with much talk about the writers block that singer Matt Berninger suffered through during the process.

Like their younger colleagues, this time around The National brings in a slew of guest vocalists including Sufjan Stevens, Phoebe Bridgers, and world conquering Tayler Swift. Stevens helps on the minimal album opener, “Once Upon a Poolside” but neither Bridgers tracks really hit.  Swift’s appearance is more memorable as she sings lines back to Berninger and adds her own style on lines like “The last thing you wanted/It’s the first thing I do”.

When it’s just Berninger, the songs tend to lean heavily on relationships moments.  “Eucalyptus” sees a couple splitting up their possessions during a break-up including the records. “New Order T-Shirt” has a cascading beat laying the bed for “split second glimpses and snapshots and sounds”.  This new release sees the band quiet and introspective, what’s missed is the band rocking out especially when they have a stellar rhythm section of brothers Bryan and Scott Devendorf.  They are only truly unleashed on “Tropic Morning News”.   Instead, the band opts for electronics that all start to blend into one another as the album continues.

7.5/10

Posted in Album Reviews

The National – Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers (2003)

Posted on by Michael

Nearly 20 years ago The National released their second album, Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers.  It was their first time working with co-producer Peter Katis who would produce their next two discs and the first to include Bryce Dessner as a full member. The band grows their sound from the first release with chiming guitars on “Slipping Husband” and halfway through “90-Mile Water Wall” where the song changes direction with an extended instrumental passage.

Matt Berninger is still trying to find his voice on many wordy songs.  “Available” has an anthemic feel that Berninger struggles to keep up with. Better are the tracks where he takes a more minimalist approach such as the guitar driven “Murder Me Rachael” and the lyrically simpler “Sugar Wife”.  The album closes with the country tinged “Lucky You”.  Like the first album, this has the sound of the city’s best bar band who would have been blinding to have stumbled across across one night.

7/10