Bennnnn
Well-Known Member
I mean, I don’t think he writes from any one perspective. Not all of his narrators or songs are about the same things. On a larger scale, and I talked about this recently on the old forum, I think his lyrics can often speak to me because they’re about trying and usually failing to escape his own headspace. So within that headspace, there is wallowing, there are woe is me-isms, there are delusions of himself. But it often feels like it’s about wanting to get past that, about trying to stop your own mind from getting in the way. That’s what I take away from his writing, but that’s s personal thing that maybe no one will agree with me on. But that reading is why I love the music so much (lyrics, singing, everything - they all work together perfectly).
But of course there are also songs from darker perspectives, and I think they’re written in a way that tries to undercut themselves in an attempt to show the weakness in the narrator. Or, like you say, they’re sort of being joking with the subject matter. People can definitely read too much into it, and see these sorts of narrators as cool people, but they’re missing the point.
Yet it’s all up for debate which songs have more personal narratives rather than more character-like ones. I would assume it’s a mix of both throughout all of their albums. And although you can read specific subjects in songs, I think there’s often room for every listener to have their own kind of interpretation. And that’s another part of the beauty of Matt’s lyrics. There’s this strange, surrealistic imagery along with oddly phrased lines and wordplay. I just love the way he writes. And the way Carin writes, because I do believe she’s been a part of the writing process for quite some time.
As the albums have gone on, there have been some slight tweaks to the lyrical subjects than before. Like, all across Sleep Well Beast and I Am Easy To Find, you have songs tackling how difficult it is to stay married. That’s a running theme for these albums, and IAETF adds a new wrinkle to that with providing other voices as the counter to Matt’s. In that sense, the writing has gotten sharper, in a way. I think you can look back on their earlier albums written from the perspective of someone younger (duh), crueler, more naive, and yet willing to grow. IAETF doesn’t necessarily find Matt in a clearer headspace, but I think it shows how he’s grown. He’s not as wholly concerned with only himself. It’s now about his wife and daughter, and sometimes the country at large.
So I don’t know if I even answered your post in a good way. But these are the thoughts I have at the moment.
I don’t think the writing has changed drastically. Lyrically, IAETF remains very in-
line with what they’ve done before. I think the added voices just throw people, like they have me. I can respect what they’re there for, and largely they work, and add further dimensions to their sound. But like many longtime fans, what made The National so appealing initially was the brooding sound of a baritone voice mixing in with all the arrangements. We don’t get that front to back on this album. It’s a shift for sure, and I think if literally any established band with a big fanbase did this, this deep into their career, people would be thrown off a bit. It would always take some adjusting. As for people criticizing the writing, the only thing I can say is that I don’t get it. Sure, some songs have weaker lyrics, or whatever, but that’s often been the case, going all the way back to their debut.
:format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-13638498-1558044381-7111.jpeg.jpg)
