"but you know i think that i just need to assume that the majority of musicians are being honest
with us, the listeners, because if not, if they are just trying too hard to say things we can
understand, then that is something i don't want to think about"

this is honestly a good point. i do feel like berninger is being "honest"--i think the problem with
me might be that, as soon as he figured out he was good at -that- vibe, he sort of settled himself
into a niche and pushed it pretty hard--maybe thats when (this is all speculative of course) he
started "doing it" for other people to connect with rather than himself. part of the problem is
there are also lines that sort of fall flat for me; there are points where he'll sort of use non-
sequiturs or abstract stuff in the midst of his usual stuff and (though i can appreciate the
switchup) some of them just make no sense and sort of make me go ugh (like that one "birthday candle
black girl" one too lazy to look it up now) (this isn't to say he doesnt also hits home runs from
time to time)

i sort of just went off track and typed a bunch of drivel but maybe it makes sense idk

yeah i mean theres always the possibility that this is just my contrarian buzzer going off and i'm just grasping to support it

Album Rating: 5.0

i felt high violet's lyrics weren't as good as this and right now it just feels like they lost their 'charm' that was present on this album. maybe that's them maturing or maybe i just can't relate to a lot of it yet.

i think that a lot of what you're saying wouldn't be said if this particular band hadn't had all of the acclaim that they've received recently

i will say that this album was constructed in such a way that i only "got it" when i stopped looking
for "it"

if ya know what i mean

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

http://popmatters.com/music/reviews/n/national-alligator.shtml



sheesh

Album Rating: 5.0

that's obviously way unnecessarily harsh but i can see some of the points it brings up

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

reviewer slaughtered berninger with a fiery passion

Album Rating: 5.0

yeah that whole rant in the middle did not add anything to the review



imagine if someone posted that on sputnik

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

lol that review is fucking terrible, wow

Album Rating: 4.5

you walk slow if it takes you that long to walk two miles

Album Rating: 5.0

Yeah that guy must have failed any single literature class in uni/college if he ever had to think for himself instead of having something spelled out for him...





Just saying.

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

all the wine gives me chills



i can see this being a 5 in the future



edit: fuck it, i bumped it. I still prefer Boxer, but this is such a perfect album to be followed up by boxer. so youthful and

beautiful.

Stopped reading that review when he wrote that Berninger's singing is "awful".

Album Rating: 3.5

I can kind of see where he's coming from there actually. I admit that Berninger sounds a little sloppy on songs like "Secret Meeting"

Album Rating: 4.5

mr november rules so hard

Album Rating: 5.0

The Geese of Beverly Road is probably my fav off this, but there isn't a weak track here

Album Rating: 4.5

has anyone ever heard the b-sides for alligator? 'the thrilling of claire' is so good

Album Rating: 4.5

love that song. they have loads of really great b-sides, their was a b-sides and rarities mixtape going around the blogs for a while, it was awesome.



all these weights and wires must make a skinny girlll

tired

Album Rating: 5.0

ahh definitely need to get hold of some b-sides by the sounds of it, if anyone has a link...?

Album Rating: 4.5

a bunch of them were compiled on the two EPs, if you dont have those yet