Album Rating: 5.0

IAETF had at least some immediate tracks, like Quiet Light, Where is her Head and Rylan. New one is just a formless blur in my memory, except for Eucalyptus.

Album Rating: 5.0

Weird Goodbyes is better than anything off the new one. Maybe I just miss Matt's baritone.

Album Rating: 5.0

Yeah idk why he’s exclusively going for the thinner high range stuff these days. Feels like a focus group decision that robs them of the most distinctive part of their sound - similar to the sidelining of Bryan

Album Rating: 4.0

The chorus of Eucalyptus is pre bad tbh but sure its a more memorable track - says a lot



'Weird Goodbyes' I'd rate higher than all but one or two of these songs, also says a lot

"IAETF had at least some immediate tracks, like Quiet Light, Where is her Head and Rylan. New one is just a formless blur in my memory, except for Eucalyptus."

oooof im not excited to jam the new one

Album Rating: 5.0

Tropic Morning News is the only one that really comes close to capturing the magic of their classic material.

Eucalyptus strays far too close to stomp clap indie folk for comfort.

Album Rating: 4.0

It’s decidedly Netflix-core that’s for sure

Album Rating: 4.0

'Tropic Morning News' sounds like a lite version of the old approach, still no world beater but acceptable



The last album had four, possibly 5, songs that felt 'The National' and up to scratch - just surrounded in a sea of failed ideas.



This one has no really acceptable up to scratch material (the intro song? we're grasping) and this time everything's floating in a sea of 'a lack of ideas'.



That's the big takeaway for me - SWB and Easy had a lot of ideas, the 'shit thrown against the wall' approach worked on SWB as some of the tracks were really great, and other ideas were worthwhile, just a few things didn't work...'Easy' the returns were far less and the experimentation felt even more grasp'y.



This one I think they've tried to clean the mess, have a real identity and consistent 'vibe' - but they've landed on a real snoozy approach and the writing is just not there. The one positive is if someone likes any of this album they'll probably dig the whole thing - and there will be fans of this album out there.

Album Rating: 5.0

"Yeah idk why he’s exclusively going for the thinner high range stuff these days. Feels like a focus group decision that robs them of the most distinctive part of their sound - similar to the sidelining of Bryan"



This is a good point, I found myself disliking elements of the vocal approach circa TWFM and I feel it gets worse after that record

Album Rating: 4.5

can't say im particularly excited about the new one

Album Rating: 4.5

looks like they couldn't quite figure out the line between dreamy and just plain tiring

Album Rating: 3.5

holding off judgement on the whole thing, but shit damn the guitar melody in the last 30 secs of Eucalyptus is some my first garageband bullshit

Album Rating: 4.0

Always a bit depressing to see one of your favorite bands continue down the path of innocuous background noise.

Album Rating: 5.0

Going in blind on the new album (haven't heard the studio versions of the singles, even), expectations are low but I really like the first song.

Album Rating: 5.0

"Always a bit depressing to see one of your favorite bands continue down the path of innocuous background noise."



I think that's the worst part, The National have been one of my favourite bands for a long time now and seeing the band that made Boxer and High Violet make the musical equivalent of IKEA furniture hurts. I'm not writing them off though, this could just be a blip.

Album Rating: 5.0

First listen down of FTPOF and...yeah, I don't think even I can really defend it. I was a major apologist for IAETF and I maintain that it's a really good album. The new one, though, really feels like the blandest version of The National imaginable. Most of it sounds pretty indistinguishable from the other Dessnershit that's been flooding the market lately, melodically and instrumentally it's all so floaty, the production is very "big and bland," Matt seems afraid of his baritone and instead is stuck in that upper register that he used to be able to use for contrastive effect but now just sucks any bite out of his delivery, Scott is given practically nothing to work with on the kit (the moments where he shoves some mildly interesting stuff in there are the only times it really "feels" like The National). There are a few songs that I quite liked and imagine will grow on me, but overall the first listen was definitely a disappointment. Definitely feels like their "sellout" album what with the prominent features. Best I can hope is that some people may view IAETF more favorably in comparison; at least that album had a distinguishable concept and sounded like they were trying. This one's just Natty Lite.

Album Rating: 4.0

'may view IAETF more favorably in comparison'



kinda, it's at least a .5 better than this and does contain four or five decent Natty tracks



'the production is very "big and bland"'



good spot, the dreaded big n' bland, album sounds like it's had a 'commercial/faux epic' wash applied over it

Album Rating: 4.0

'Going in blind on the new album (haven't heard the studio versions of the singles, even), expectations are low but I really like the first song.'



the first song is top two on here, at least on first impressions

Album Rating: 3.5

First song, Tropicana Morning and the commercial rehash of Graceless around the two third mark were my highlights

Album Rating: 4.0

^ you got it