The National

Djxfactor511 said:
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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Yes exactly this. i still have my reservations about some of the songs with Matt taking a backseat, but I completely agree that the added voices make the lyrics stand out more in a conversational sort of way. And when you view it like that, especially if you view it as Matt and his wife Carin speaking to each other, it's completely gutting.
 
Bennnnn said:
I couldn’t make out the face at all - all I saw were the dots and lines. Gonna have to take a closer look when I get back home. I feel it should be more clear, but so many etchings are like this and I work so hard to just try and see them
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Yeah, etchings and needing to catch the light can make it not seem overly obvious. That pic was a mock up so not sure what it looks like IRL. :unsure:
 
My copy wont arrive until Tuesday. I'm loving the new record. And I agree, there are some songs that I didn't get until I watched the short film.
 
Also, here's a little something I wrote in another thread about my first concert experience with The National.


Memo said:
Oooo fun topic.

My favorite show was The National in Austin for a ACL Late Night in 2013 at Stubbs Amp which is a good size venue, not too big or small.
Trouble will find me released earlier in the year and they were unstoppable.
Thao and the Get Down Stay down opened for them (which she can jam on a banjo).
It was an amazing concert, they were playing the classics, the new songs, I think Matt Berninger was two bottles of wine in (that we saw), and he started crowd surfing a bit by just extending his arm for support on people.
THEN Mr. November starts playing and everyone loses it. Matt jumps into the crowd starts belching "I wont $)(*% this over, I'm Mr. November" as he goes through the crowd. He goes in a full circle when eventually he's walking straight to a group of us. I grab a hold of him, as do a couple of other people, and we all sing into the mic for the last three lines of the song.
Then they start playing Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks, I'm still stunned from what happened when I notice Matt hugging someone on stage, and it's Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) singing backups. We all, and I mean everybody grabbed each others shoulders in unison and sang along.

That night was the best night (concert wise) for me. I find it hard to go to another The National show because now they're playing bigger venues and I know it wont be the same experience now.
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Djxfactor511 said:
I'm by no means an expert, but isn't it made of the kind of plastic that causes off-gassing problems?
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I have a few like this “High Violet” and Tortoise “Standard” off the top of my head and I have never had any issues with gassing on either of these. I did have issues with som RSD releases that came in direct contact with the plastic sleeve. If you store the album inside the jacket then the jacket inside the plastic sleeve you should be straight. Just don’t store the record in direct contact with the plastic sleeve and keep it out of the heat. (Who knew there were as many rules storing records as there were in caring for a mogwai).
 
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Gave the new album a spin earlier, sounds good. Now I’m onto SWB. The guitar solo in The System... when the backing vocals kick in gets me every time. Those few seconds... it’s just perfect.
 
My girlfriend and I went to our new Central Library last night for a public screening of the short film, which was really quite a nice way to watch it. A Cool, communal experience.

They also had copies of the clear vinyl version of the album for sale, which I picked up. Been listening to the album today at work, and very much looking forward to spinning this tonight.

We also have tickets to see them in Portland in late August. Caught their show on the SWB tour in Vancouver, which was pretty astounding.
 
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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I don’t think anyone really gets The National‘s appeal until you hear a song at just the perfect moment in your life and it all kinda falls into place. It’s not something you notice until you need it then it becomes everything you you ever wanted.
 
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Indymisanthrope said:
I mean how do you listen to this song and come away with your only comment about it being that it's "Wilco-like trad-rock?"
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Yeah that as a summation does not remotely do it justice. Also...I don't hear Wilco in it at all.

Also considering he put the late night debut of Terrible Love on the list, I'd say the live version of About Today from The Virginia EP needs to go in the studio version's place. It's miles better.
 
3LP arrived today along with the ROTM from.....
Sounds incredible and such a beautiful record!
My one hope is that is raises the profile of Kate Stables (This is the Kit). She's incredible! Love her voice!
Ih, and Light Years has haunted me with its beauty since they played it at All Points East last summer with the Stave girls.
 
Bennnnn said:
Yeah that as a summation does not remotely do it justice. Also...I don't hear Wilco in it at all.

Also considering he put the late night debut of Terrible Love on the list, I'd say the live version of About Today from The Virginia EP needs to go in the studio version's place. It's miles better.
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I know I posted this before back in that other place but this is my favorite version of Terrible Love. Bryan's drumming is so good.

 
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