The National

I wasn't really active in the National thread on the other forum, but I love this band and have just started listening to the first song on the new album on crappy headphones through Spotify. I'll get my vinyl copy in a few days, but I have never really listened super intently to this band.

I feel like they are part of my bloodstream. They are the band I've seen more than any other in my life. More than friend's bands. I've seen them as an opening act in front of 20 people. I've seen them at a sports bar. I've seen them from backstage in a club and headling the Hollywood Bowl for 18,000 people. Even though the band members are all older than me, I feel like I've grown up with them.

I never really look forward to a new album from them. I feel like I've heard them all already. It really is a strange relationship I have with this band. I only ever remember listening to Sleep Well Beast a handful of times, but listening to it recently I knew every song by heart.
 
McGlam said:
I wasn't really active in the National thread on the other forum, but I love this band and have just started listening to the first song on the new album on crappy headphones through Spotify. I'll get my vinyl copy in a few days, but I have never really listened super intently to this band.

I feel like they are part of my bloodstream. They are the band I've seen more than any other in my life. More than friend's bands. I've seen them as an opening act in front of 20 people. I've seen them at a sports bar. I've seen them from backstage in a club and headling the Hollywood Bowl for 18,000 people. Even though the band members are all older than me, I feel like I've grown up with them.

I never really look forward to a new album from them. I feel like I've heard them all already. It really is a strange relationship I have with this band. I only ever remember listening to Sleep Well Beast a handful of times, but listening to it recently I knew every song by heart.
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If you had a Facebook relationship with The National it would be the definition of “Its complicated”
 
I am very much not on the National train - nothing against them, I don't actively dislike them, but I've always felt as if I'm missing something with this band. I joked on my Instagram last week that I'm 10 years, 4 glasses of wine, and 1 divorce too young for them. I could recognize the quality in a lot of the individual pieces that make up their music, but as a whole, it never really "clicked" for me.

This new album though. I'm starting to get it. I've heard other people describe why they like The National so much, and I really didn't get it at the time, but I'm starting to feel about the new album the way y'all feel about all their stuff. Holy fuck is Not In Kansas an amazing track. I've never been so sucked in to Berninger's lyricism as I was with this track. It perfectly paints a picture of a melancholic reflection on the dizzying state of the world, where one fits into it on an individual basis, and how to reconcile such impossible changes. Dust Swirls In Strange Light is compositionally gorgeous, with some absolutely HEAVENLY vocal arrangements going on. It's rare to hear a track so accurately sound like what the title is :P Where Is Her Head sounds nothing like any National song I've heard before and whoever the female vocalist is on that track killed it. Hell, all the female vocalists on this really added a unique dynamic to the whole thing. Maybe that's why I feel myself getting this album more than others? But that being said, Not In Kansas and Light Years are two of my favorite tracks and they're very Berninger-centered, so maybe I just needed something to fully throw me in.

I've only listened to it once. I'm sure I'll have some more structured, non-scatter-brained thoughts once I let it sink in a bit more. I'm still not fully on the National train yet, but I feel like I have a boarding pass in hand for it
 
Very much a National-fan here, and I just gotta say that the new album feels like them turning a corner of some kind. And I like it.

I thought Sleep Well Beast was pretty underwhelming and pretty much them going through the motions, only with slightly less flair. I expected it to grow on me in the same way High Violet did (felt underwhelming at first, now it's my favourite of theirs), but It didn't.

Now, this is something else. I haven't seen the movie yet, but the album has a great narrative flow throughout, and the whole concept of a "visual album" is really interesting. I expect this to grow on me immensely in the next couple of listens.
 
chrb98 said:
I am very much not on the National train - nothing against them, I don't actively dislike them, but I've always felt as if I'm missing something with this band. I joked on my Instagram last week that I'm 10 years, 4 glasses of wine, and 1 divorce too young for them. I could recognize the quality in a lot of the individual pieces that make up their music, but as a whole, it never really "clicked" for me.

This new album though. I'm starting to get it. I've heard other people describe why they like The National so much, and I really didn't get it at the time, but I'm starting to feel about the new album the way y'all feel about all their stuff. Holy fuck is Not In Kansas an amazing track. I've never been so sucked in to Berninger's lyricism as I was with this track. It perfectly paints a picture of a melancholic reflection on the dizzying state of the world, where one fits into it on an individual basis, and how to reconcile such impossible changes. Dust Swirls In Strange Light is compositionally gorgeous, with some absolutely HEAVENLY vocal arrangements going on. It's rare to hear a track so accurately sound like what the title is :p Where Is Her Head sounds nothing like any National song I've heard before and whoever the female vocalist is on that track killed it. Hell, all the female vocalists on this really added a unique dynamic to the whole thing. Maybe that's why I feel myself getting this album more than others? But that being said, Not In Kansas and Light Years are two of my favorite tracks and they're very Berninger-centered, so maybe I just needed something to fully throw me in.

I've only listened to it once. I'm sure I'll have some more structured, non-scatter-brained thoughts once I let it sink in a bit more. I'm still not fully on the National train yet, but I feel like I have a boarding pass in hand for it
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LMAO - that was YOU that made that comment on my insta ... GOLD! I LOL’d because it’s kinda true. But glad you’re coming around. It’s a slow show... (pun intended)
 
chrb98 said:
I am very much not on the National train - nothing against them, I don't actively dislike them, but I've always felt as if I'm missing something with this band. I joked on my Instagram last week that I'm 10 years, 4 glasses of wine, and 1 divorce too young for them. I could recognize the quality in a lot of the individual pieces that make up their music, but as a whole, it never really "clicked" for me.

This new album though. I'm starting to get it. I've heard other people describe why they like The National so much, and I really didn't get it at the time, but I'm starting to feel about the new album the way y'all feel about all their stuff. Holy fuck is Not In Kansas an amazing track. I've never been so sucked in to Berninger's lyricism as I was with this track. It perfectly paints a picture of a melancholic reflection on the dizzying state of the world, where one fits into it on an individual basis, and how to reconcile such impossible changes. Dust Swirls In Strange Light is compositionally gorgeous, with some absolutely HEAVENLY vocal arrangements going on. It's rare to hear a track so accurately sound like what the title is :p Where Is Her Head sounds nothing like any National song I've heard before and whoever the female vocalist is on that track killed it. Hell, all the female vocalists on this really added a unique dynamic to the whole thing. Maybe that's why I feel myself getting this album more than others? But that being said, Not In Kansas and Light Years are two of my favorite tracks and they're very Berninger-centered, so maybe I just needed something to fully throw me in.

I've only listened to it once. I'm sure I'll have some more structured, non-scatter-brained thoughts once I let it sink in a bit more. I'm still not fully on the National train yet, but I feel like I have a boarding pass in hand for it
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Welcome! Even though I’m not maybe super incredibly high on the new album yet, it’s still growing on me, and I’m sure I’ll totally love it all very very soon. I’m already starting to understand it more. And I definitely enjoy it as a full album experience. It seems so whole to me.

But I do think one of the best things about it might be that it can get some new listeners into the band. I hear that potential. Personally, I like the added guest vocals, I just wish Matt was a bit higher in the mix when they’re singing with them.
 
AngryVal said:
Taking it one step further than the album ranking... are you ready peeps?

Top 40 The National songs, ranked.

uproxx.com

The National’s 40 Best Songs, Ranked.

Before the release of ’I Am Easy To Find,’ we list our favorite tracks by one of modern indie’s greatest bands.
uproxx.com uproxx.com

Let the games begin!
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I mostly don’t have issues with this list. It has some of my personal all time faves (I love seeing Driver Surprise Me here). But the list does have some of my least favorites too (England, Anyone’s Ghost). Also, the number one spot is a little weird. I still love Mr November, especially live, but it’s not the pinnacle of the band to me because it doesn’t sound like much of their catalog. I know Hyden loves the band though, so I can’t take issue with his list in general. There’s some great stuff here. I don’t know that I could do a top 40, at least not a good ranking cause it’s often shifting.
 
chrb98 said:
I am very much not on the National train - nothing against them, I don't actively dislike them, but I've always felt as if I'm missing something with this band. I joked on my Instagram last week that I'm 10 years, 4 glasses of wine, and 1 divorce too young for them. I could recognize the quality in a lot of the individual pieces that make up their music, but as a whole, it never really "clicked" for me.

This new album though. I'm starting to get it. I've heard other people describe why they like The National so much, and I really didn't get it at the time, but I'm starting to feel about the new album the way y'all feel about all their stuff. Holy fuck is Not In Kansas an amazing track. I've never been so sucked in to Berninger's lyricism as I was with this track. It perfectly paints a picture of a melancholic reflection on the dizzying state of the world, where one fits into it on an individual basis, and how to reconcile such impossible changes. Dust Swirls In Strange Light is compositionally gorgeous, with some absolutely HEAVENLY vocal arrangements going on. It's rare to hear a track so accurately sound like what the title is :p Where Is Her Head sounds nothing like any National song I've heard before and whoever the female vocalist is on that track killed it. Hell, all the female vocalists on this really added a unique dynamic to the whole thing. Maybe that's why I feel myself getting this album more than others? But that being said, Not In Kansas and Light Years are two of my favorite tracks and they're very Berninger-centered, so maybe I just needed something to fully throw me in.

I've only listened to it once. I'm sure I'll have some more structured, non-scatter-brained thoughts once I let it sink in a bit more. I'm still not fully on the National train yet, but I feel like I have a boarding pass in hand for it
Click to expand...
'Not In Kansas' is my favorite track thus far...
 
I love female singers I just don't think they mesh well with the new album. When I think of a National album, I want to hear that classic baritone voice of Matt's, I'm sure it will grow on me but it is a little bit underwhelming so far.
 
Twentytwo said:
I love female singers I just don't think they mesh well with the new album. When I think of a National album, I want to hear that classic baritone voice of Matt's, I'm sure it will grow on me but it is a little bit underwhelming so far.
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I too was a bit apprehensive about Matt sharing vocal duties on this album, especially after hearing the first single. But I will say this. I just finished my first complete listen, and I think it makes the emotional messages of the album more conversational, and therefore more poignant. I don't think I've felt my heartstrings get pulled this much by a National album for a while. Definitely didn't feel that with SWB.

Overall this album is going to be a grower for me, but man I think this one has the ability to be right up there. It sounds so different and yet familiar at the same time.
 
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