I'm enjoying a lot the collabs, but as I thought, I've never been a fan of Matt's voice. Love his lyrics though. I have it there on the background now as I do some work but this is gonna need a more focused jam.

Rylan is so fucking good.

Album Rating: 1.0

this kinda sucks

Gonna ignore the rest of the thread and trust tommy’s conclusion.

Album Rating: 1.0

- no melodies

- no direction

- no DRUMZ

- matt sounds bored + uninspired

- femvox feel like a gimmick

- interludes are a pointless distraction and detract more than they add

Album Rating: 4.2

disagree with all of those points but sup tommy

Album Rating: 1.0

sup young fella!

Album Rating: 4.2

waitin to hear back from a job interview yesterday and jammin all this week's albums hard, what's goin on over there

Album Rating: 1.0

left early for man flu so just warming my balls by the fire and listening to this trying to see the good in it :D

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

‘- no melodies’

‘- no DRUMZ’



[2]



My two biggest complaints

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

Didn’t realise the ‘hymn’ lyrics on Kansas were taken from Thinking Fellers Union - I thought they seemed eerily familiar, thought the band had hit on something inspired...no, they were literally familiar because I listen to Thinking Fellers!



So my favourite lyrics on the album and biggest thematic surprise on the disc wasn’t written by The National :’(



This thing is so a 2.5

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

This has been bugging me...



The Anathema song that ‘Light Years’ reminds me of a bit is ‘Electricity’, just a similar overall melody to the point you can hum one over the other



The problem with this being I really really love ‘Electricity’



There’s probably an Anathema ballad it sounds even more like tbh but I just remember hearing that piano line and thinking ‘Anathema ballad’ and it hasn’t really gone away.

Album Rating: 4.0

Sorrow was the first National song I fell in love with. Wonder if that influences my taste

Album Rating: 3.5

Same here

Album Rating: 4.0

“Anyone’s Ghost” was mine

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

I liked 'Alli' but didn't love it when it came out so...



I'd say 'Brainy'. When that drum intro came in I knew 'Boxer' was leagues ahead of 'Alligator' and the band were well on their way to rivaling the Tindersticks (so top tier in other words)

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

'Sorrow was the first National song I fell in love with. Wonder if that influences my taste'



Sorrow is my second favourite National and the track that most defines their style and appeal for me. 'Brainy' would be the track that next best defines them I'd say.



Surprised a Sorrow lover would dig this album so highly as that tune was Matt so front and centre and had such an emphasis on the lyrics. Such a 'trad National' tune and this new album only has two or three songs at all like that really.

Some things I've noticed

- Oblivions suddenly reminds me a lot of the XX (in a good way)
- Matt's voice in the bridge of "Where is Her Head?" sounds exactly like it did on Alligator and it's kind of unnerving

Album Rating: 4.0

I feel like with every National record I need to live with it for a few years before I can finally judge it properly.



When TWFM first came out I didn't think it was anything special; then pink rabbits hit me at a specific moment in life and just floored me.

As soon as you get over the shock of Berninger taking a back seat, this is really, really good. Typically subtle in its genius, lots of nooks and crannies to explore, lots of beautiful narrow melodies. It's ace.