Album Rating: 4.7

"Alligator and Boxer navigate that inherent clunkiness the best and in the most endearing way"

probably one of Alligator's best qualities yeah

Album Rating: 5.0

my initial impression of The National after listening to Alligator over ten times back in 2005 was that they were an ok band with some slightly embarrassing lyrics and hit and miss arrangements in places



then 'Boxer' came out and I was amazed by it



then I revisited 'Alligator'...and liked it a bit more, but for me an album with little indication they'd become a major band for me



they were honestly in danger of being less than Interpol level of something like that based solely on Alligator for me



'Alligator' they were something close to Interpol mixed with Tindersticks and Afghan Whigs, I wasn't totally convinced probably due to that linage having done a lot for me already. Something like 'Friend of Mine' really felt like 'sub Tindersticks' while 'Abel' felt like a 'sub Whigs rocker'. Dunno, still not totally won over by it, the songs from 'Alligator' other than 'Mr November' aren't that great live which says a lot to me.



About three or four classic tunes on it though sure. It's just 'Boxer' has eight or nine, and the band really developed their own sound too.

Album Rating: 4.7

"being less than Interpol level of something like that based solely on Alligator for me"

honestly fair tbh, would say both the first two Interpol albs overshadow Alligator by a fair margin and the Rock style on it (+Available) defs share a lineage

Interpol are also probably the best (/worst) band to cite for endearingly clunky lyrics. Tell me Matt didn't have She was my catatonic sex toy love-joy diver and She says brief things / Her love's a pony / My love's subliminal in his head when he was writing Karen

Album Rating: 5.0

I mean Interpol were a good band, I liked the early albums, but also did I ever seek them out to watch live? Did I get upset when they effectively fell of the planet in terms of relevance? No. A solid band who were mid level for me in terms of personal appeal.



This band have gone totally the other way - I'm still following them even though, well, they've started losing it.

Album Rating: 5.0

Yeah I suppose for me Tindersticks have never been a band that grabs me, but the National's 'Alligator' phase had that scrappy, loveable, American mythology thing going on. Cannot imagine any of the bands listed writing The Geese of Beverly Road, or at least presenting it that way

Honestly, post Violet The National sounds like U2 with indie cred trying to write songs to get played on tastefully filtered prestige TV dramas

Album Rating: 5.0

I don't think they're as bombastic as U2



For example, I'd say both Broken Social Scene and Arcade Fire went more into U2 arena territory



I still think they're a little too weird for 'real mainstream' airplay and stuff like that - 'what's up with the singer?'



my dad calls The national a 'country band' and dismisses them as 'like Springsteen' with an 'unconvincing singer'...they're still indie!

Album Rating: 3.5

they were headlining all points east last year and while I like them and they were pretty good it defo didn't seem like a natural fit. some of the crowd were a bit confused by them



one of those bands I wish I'd been around to catch in the earlier days

Album Rating: 5.0

To me, AF or BSS are reaching for the bombast of peak U2, and that's fine - those bands are geared for that from the start.

Perhaps I'm not expressing myself well, like I know the National aren't U2 or popular on that scale. But I think Matt's later vocal stylings do have a touch of Bono about them, and some of the slickness of U2's later records (smaller tracks, think Grace or Stuck in a Moment off albums like All You Can't Leave Behind). Sometimes I'll watch live footage of the National and the newer material is more palatable (although still not as strong) - live some of the sheen is taken off or something.

I actually wish they had some of that big country feel your dad is talking about - it's missing, they sound like a city band now, or part of a scene, or maybe circuit is the word I'm looking for. I don't like the lyrical direction either, I think if Alligator is clunky, then the later stuff can take some heat for being lame. To be fair, Boxer is a album that sounds of the city, but more like railing against it, more streamlined and wary of it, aware of the seduction of it.

Album Rating: 4.0

yeah every time I show The National to someone they say “this is just like big country U2”

Album Rating: 4.0

this is the most brooklyn band of all time

Album Rating: 4.0

normaloctagon if you’re reading this hopefully you know what I mean now

Album Rating: 4.5

what Colton is describing sounds like a hard 1/5 band, so I refuse to believe it. I don't understand the ref though... is this jokes?

people are often wrong, so I guess it could just be that

Album Rating: 4.0

post-2016 National is literally just Venezuelan Carly Rae Jepsen

Album Rating: 5.0

ongoing hypothesis: if a discussion on this website goes on long enough, comments cease to mean anything whatsoever

Album Rating: 4.0

they start out good with actual insightful points and then it becomes “you know how everybody thinks this band is X genre? well they’re actually Y genre” or “this band is just X band and Y band with a little bit of Z band”

Album Rating: 5.0

"yeah every time I show The National to someone they say “this is just like big country U2”"



not exactly what i was trying to say but whatever

Album Rating: 4.0

i like tindersticks ama

Album Rating: 4.7

who is k-on best girl

(don't call me)

Album Rating: 4.0

mio best girl not a question

Album Rating: 4.0

I just googled K-On, if you actually watch that shit please get help