Album Rating: 4.0

everybody loves a quiet child





yup

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

Row, if anyone is guilty of bias then it’s you being unable to accept I didn’t like the pre release tracks, didn’t like the short film, and other than four or five songs don’t like this



You were (and still are) equally ‘unreasonable’ about SWB. Get a grip.

Album Rating: 4.0

Btw, did anyone else ever check out the first version of Day I Die they were playing in 2016? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZbBdMRmi7A God how I wish they kept the bridge in that one. The guitars are out of this world. I jammed that so much pre release that the album version has always felt a little flat to me

Album Rating: 4.0

3.5/4.0 on first listen

But I think this will take a handful of spins to really sink in

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

I mean Row you make it sound like this album is already a canon classic but it already has a worse critic average than SWB and appears to be tumbling fast.



It could just be the album is divisive and ‘different’

A two is fucking generous

Album Rating: 4.2

bro chill

1.5 because its a national album i guess this was a rough first jam

Female vocals were required because the material is so under developed melodically. Quiet Light is nice-ish. Where is Her Head is different and fairly successful.


Wew lads

Album Rating: 3.5

I'm scared guys...



This is the first time a National record is flooring me on first listen. What does that mean? They've been notorious growers in the past so this is either going to grow off me or it's like, easily their best ever.

Lol no in between huh 😝

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

It just means the album is prime Sowingcore



I predicted it would be ;D

I have never agreed with you but here we are dude. We should do this more often

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

Imagine they’d released Rylan, Where is Her Head and Quiet Light as the pre release tracks.



Would have been anticipating something close to a classic.



That would have been traumatic. Thank you National ❤️

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

I have made it to the Fourth Reich - what next?



A Fifth Reich?

*asks sowing for name change to fifthreich*

Album Rating: 4.0

Here’s the thing - I’ll never be convinced this wasn’t a rushed project, but it feels so unique and distinct to everything they’ve done before that it stands outside their discography in a way. In any case I’m not mad at them for truly trying to expand their boundaries; as much as they tried some new sounds on Sleep Well Beast it certainly wasn’t a grand departure and kept 90% of their characteristics intact. I’m confused by people linking this to TWFM because aside from the cover and title reference I didn’t hear anything that drew particularly from that. But in any case I’m glad they’ve tried something new, will of course be giving it tons of spins in the coming weeks and I do hope I’m able to connect to it... But even if I don’t they had an absolutely utterly incredible run up to this, and that run was going to have to end some time.

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

I don’t hear too much experimentation. The SWB title track was an amazing effort, better than any song included here, and it was a true song writing experiment - quite unlike any of their other songs.



‘Kansas’ is quite experimental but only as much as ‘Walk it Back’ was. ‘Where is Her Head’ is a new style for The National sure, but not as different as SWB t/t.



They have just added a load of adornments which you may or may not love. I don’t think this album is too experimental beyond that.

Album Rating: 2.5

that’s the thing, I bear no grudges towards the band or to those who like the album. as it stands, it’s not for me, but it’s very early doors. I needed time with the last 3 for them to really hit so who knows. they’re not tainted for me just yet :-)

Album Rating: 4.0

A bunch of these tracks predate Sleep Well Beast though. https://www.instagram.com/p/BJvA967B39k/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link This post in 2016 has quiet light (deluge), pull of you (Hague blue), so far so fast, and the title track (ticker tape, surely?). And other track names there could also be codenames for these new ones.