Album Rating: 4.0

"If they cut Not in Kansas, Her Father in the Pool, The Pull of You, Hey Rosey, Underwater, and the first minute of Dust Swirls in Strange Light to just make them bonus tracks or something, then arranged the rest in a better track list, this album would be 8.5/10 at least."



Agreed. I do like Pull of You though.

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

‘Not in Kansas’ is top half in terms of quality though not saying too much



Album is actually getting more redundant as time passes, side projects have all been proven to have way more worth than the day job now

[2]
agreed that that one's verses are relatively engaging

Album Rating: 4.0

That might actually be the most divisive song from these guys! It's not a very good song imo

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

It’s not a very good song but has interesting parts.



Most of the rest here is the same minus the interesting parts.



Four ok songs that would have been among the worst on ‘Sleep Well Beast’ which already had a few issues

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

I’d only salvage ‘Quiet Light’, ‘Rylan’, ‘Light Years’ and ‘Where is Her Head’ (which still sounds like an average BSS song idea but is different for The National at least and pleasant, if boring after a couple of plays in quick succession)



Then if pushed I’d also take ‘Not in Kansas’ and ‘Oblivions’ (the duet is the most notable/interesting component of the song...but also it doesn’t really work, the voices don’t mesh in any enticing way) though I don’t need them

We should talk more about much of a tragedy SWB's creative spurt/palette broadening seems in hindsight. Imagine making an album with that t/t, I'll Still Destroy You and The System on it, then churning out this

Album Rating: 4.0

I think this was like an afterthought more like a real album project especially with the short film thing and all the guest vocalists. They'll be back to their superior form in their next album.

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

Seemed a backwards step for me - I think this tried to be creative though, it’s more misguided and forced than anything else



Over embellished (guest vocals, fluffy and busy arrangements) but under developed (the writing itself, the lyrics)



Bad combo, this is almost that Pitchfork style I call out as ‘big and bland’ - a big and busy sound but communicates nothing and no great melodies or subtleties



No National top 30 song on this equals disaster

Album Rating: 4.0

I do still like this a lot but I agree the band are likely reaching the end of their days as a creative project. At the very least they need a long hiatus before they release any thing new as a unit (though it’s kinda nuts that this was already almost 2 years ago). I’m kinda with benkim though in that this feels more like a side project than a proper SWB follow up.

Album Rating: 4.0

“Quiet Light” is a top 20 contender for me, and “Rylan” and “Light Years” are both 5/5 as well.

Album Rating: 4.0

I really really like Oblivions as well although I've always insisted it would have been much better with Matt doing all the vocals despite the guest vocalist doing a great job at it.



Whatever they do though, their legacy is still intact. That run from Alligator to SWB puts 99% of artists to shame.

Album Rating: 3.0

This should have been called I am easy to snooze. Maybe they've had their run.



But SWB was great, maybe their best.

What is he going to do? cut inside to the middle of those 3 guys and score with the right foot?

Album Rating: 3.0

Lionel doesn't see questions only answers.

uh, how to win something with the national team (The National lol)?

Album Rating: 2.0

3 defenders.

3 DDDefendersDDD.

3 DDDecent songs on this album.

Album Rating: 3.0

Not in kansas is all I can recall before I nodded off.

I
don't
remember
thus
no
rate

Album Rating: 4.0

it's such a cop out to just call this a boring album