Album Rating: 4.5

"No National song after this album has been essential, I can't imagine anyone being able to argue otherwise."



Laugh Track has at least a couple tbh

Album Rating: 4.0

Maybe not essential, but both recent albums have a few great songs each. The Bridgers cuts in particular are v nice

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

There are some ok songs on their last two albums sure, but the distinction was 'essential' ;)

Album Rating: 4.0

I feel like if someone told me to make a list of the 5 most essential national songs I would spend the rest of my days muttering to myself and drawing on walls

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

For me Slow Show and Sorrow, for the impact they had on me at important times in my life, are the most essential - but really for how much I've loved this band every song written between 'Alligator' to 'Trouble' is essential, it's all part of that era.

Album Rating: 2.0

"make a list of the 5 most essential national songs"



about today, mr. november, fake empire, bloodbuzz ohio, i need my girl



def not my favorites besides fake empire but that feels pretty concisely it if were going for the most objective "essentials"

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

I Need My Girl is sort of a precursor to the ‘bad’ National that followed - I understand it’s popular but def in a top ten weakest songs of their glory years

Yes lol, pretty squarely represents everything that was about to go wrong with their sound without completely dropping the ball quite yet. Easily the weakest on that album for me

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

Agreed

Album Rating: 2.0

yeah i was debating between don't swallow the cap and light years which are both much much better but then i remembered the normie populist juggernaut at the 11th hour

Album Rating: 4.0

lol Alex no way you just dropped their OG commercial sweethearts as essentials and called it a day



Mr. November *would* get the nod from me, I will say. Incredible to experience live

Mr November is obvs essential to their history, but idk if it represents the rest of their work enough to get a nod from me. Don't Swallow the Cap, however, is absolutely perfect as a normcore National staple *and* a showcase of most of what they do/did so well

Album Rating: 4.0

Nice shout for Cap, that’s maybe up their with there most relatively under appreciated songs.

Album Rating: 3.5

All The Wine needs to be on any top Natty list

Album Rating: 4.0

I love the anthemic energy of Mr. November- to me, it’s everything great about the band cranked to 11. Strong cases to be made for several of their songs, to be sure. Absurdly consistent band.

How can this be true when turning everything about Mr November down to 6 or 7 gives you throwaway pub rock? Did Razorlight's career have nothing to teach the world :[[

Album Rating: 3.0

If the Natty are going to do pub rock can someone at least show them Cold Chisel so they know how it’s done

I Need My Girl is WAY better than Heavenfaced fuck this revisionist history!! Heavenfaced is fucking awful lol

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

Parts of Heavenfaced are better than Girl for me, parts are worse.

Heavenfaced has been overhated since forever, not the best song by a long shot but a necessary track on an album that thrives on its energy slumps more than most. Would put it in competition with Fireproof before dropping it to I Need My Girl level