Album Rating: 2.5

oh shit, i'm forgetting one of my favourite songs by them - guest room. that and baby we'll be fine are criminally overlooked.

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

Zak that one looks a bit of alright too



'Sorrow' and 'Lemonworld'? Bosh



They're the two I was moaning about missing out on from the Ally Pally gig

Album Rating: 4.0

“Guest Room” is a classic yeah, “Just tie your woman to your wrist, leave her room to tie the other” is one of the band’s best ever moments.

Album Rating: 2.5

YES! and the moment immediately proceeding that is cool. i hear this subtle change in the guitar tone that i love.

Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off

Those are awesome setlists yea. The show I saw in '17 was a great mix:

Nobody Else Will Be There

The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness

Walk It Back

Guilty Party

Don't Swallow the Cap

Afraid of Everyone

Dark Side of the Gym

Empire Line

Turtleneck

I Need My Girl

This Is the Last Time

Green Gloves

Son

Secret Meeting

Apartment Story

Bloodbuzz Ohio

Carin at the Liquor Store

Day I Die

Fake Empire

Encore:

Lemonworld

Mr. November

Terrible Love

Album Rating: 4.2

they played Son? must have been a request that's wild

Album Rating: 2.5

I realise I haven’t listened to the first two albums in years so gonna see how they stack up for me now, especially compared to this. maybe they’ll lift it up a bit!

Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off

Yea Son was random haha but a nice surprise I guess.

Sad Songs holds up very well. Nearly as good as this album I'd say.

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

This is the one I saw in '17...there was a Queen cover lol, forgot that (cheers for that?)



Nobody Else Will Be There

The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness

Walk It Back

Guilty Party

Don't Swallow the Cap

England

Dark Side of the Gym

I'll Still Destroy You

Turtleneck

I Need My Girl

Wasp Nest

Lucky You

Secret Meeting (First live performance since 2014)

Apartment Story

Bloodbuzz Ohio

Carin at the Liquor Store

Day I Die

Sleep Well Beast

Fake Empire



Encore:

I Want to Break Free (Queen cover) (Live debut by The National)

Mr. November

Terrible Love

Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks



I think it was prob the worst setlist of the four nights they played at the venue - sort of a terrible song selection imo



Wasp Nest, I Need My Girl and Lucky You back to back? Who the hell thought that mid tempo grouping was a great idea?

Album Rating: 4.0

I was at the same show as Talons in 17, yeah “Son” was super random, didn’t even remember the song, had to look it up later.

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

I'd switch Son with I Want to Break Free - you got lucky ;D

Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off

I'm happy with my setlist but would've been great to see Vanderlyle, England, Sleep Well Beast, and Wasp Nest maybe instead of Son, Nobody Else, and Empire Line.

Same Boney, I haven't heard the debut in so long. I remember it being pretty confounding.

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

Funny the band rate Terrible Love as an absolute essential and an encore regular. I wouldn't personally give it that billing.



Quite pleased I saw 'Secret Meeting' as 1. it was very good and 2. they never seem to play it according to that stat

Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off

Terrible Love (alt. version) is one of their best songs imo, which is basically what the live version is given the high energy drumming, so I was thrilled.

Brings me back to trying to learn it on drums in high school, probably their most challenging and exhausting. He's a total monster behind the kit when he wants to be, despite most of their music being pretty subtle and "classy" sounding.

Album Rating: 4.0

I need to revisit the debut and Sad Songs now, I feel like I underrated them at a 2.5 and 3.5 respectively and there’s a very real chance this album is weaker than at least one of them. Back when I was first getting into them I actually liked them both more than Alligator and Boxer (High Violet has always been tops though).

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

True Talons, the live version is better and resembles the alt version (which should have made the album - despite it maybe not suiting the 'murky mood' as much)



It's just obviously considered a 'top 5 National song' by the band themselves.



For me more a top 20 but I get it.

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

Boney...



Current RYM rating for Sad Songs = 3.43

Current RYM rating for this (remember folks, RYM ratings always go down once the fans have got their early high votes out the way...) = 3.45



You might be right on that one.



Current RYM rating for the debut = 2.97



...probably not on that one though :D

Album Rating: 4.0

Sad Songs has a handful of solid classics that probably prop it up - this I’m not so sure about.



Debut has that alt-country vibe, which is pretty charming though it sounds like a completely different band. Surely Matt had better melodies there than here though? The cover of that one nails the vibe, it’s the National album is put on while chilling poolside.

Album Rating: 2.5

on my revisit there’s no real standouts on the debut, it’s serviceable but very far removed from the National we know. I think I’d rather listen to the new one even if to scrutinise

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

The second album does have four or five 'alt country' songs better than any songs on the alt country debut though - that's sort of what confirms the debut as a bit of a nothing