Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

Mad overrated is a weird thing to call the greatest album ever made

Album Rating: 3.3

Hairpin Turns is a stunner, feels like a Nobody Else Will be There redux (and that's easily the best on this)

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

Row I’m happy to see you enjoying all the new tracks, hopefully you’ll make up for that subpar rating for this album ;-D

Album Rating: 3.5

got mad respect for this band after seeing them live

Album Rating: 3.3

uh more like hopefully the band makes up for this and the last subpar release ayy lmao



I still haven't heard studio Light Years but yeah totally here for an overlong, discursive, passion project National at this point in their discog

Album Rating: 3.0

lmao greatest album of all time

Album Rating: 3.0

every time i put this album on i just want to switch to their older stuff.

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

Cool

every time i put this album on i just want to switch to their older stuff. [2]

yea same.. but to be fair some of the songs sound better live.

Album Rating: 4.0

it gives me no joy saying this but i’m not getting on with any of the new tracks at all

"Hairpin Turns is a stunner, feels like a Nobody Else Will be There redux (and that's easily the best on this)"
You have my attention.

Album Rating: 4.5

I was happy the band calling it quits after SWB - that was enough Natty material, various members could then pursue other projects which would probably be a better fit for them now



The first new single was 1/10 bad, second one a 6/10 middle hitter, this third one a 5/10 semi-snore. Album will be a 2.5 - you read it here first.

I have many reservations about the new one but would bet good money it holds up better than Weyes Blood a week after release

Album Rating: 3.0

^ LEAVE

get your paypals ready, he's betting good money

I mean I'm open to being proved wrong
but it would make me v v sad on all the levels :[

Album Rating: 3.3

I'd get in on that action tbh



Weyes Blood had a limited aesthetic that got boring after like two listens. if anything new National will probably be too diverse for its own good

Album Rating: 4.5

'if anything new National will probably be too diverse for its own good'



I'm picking up a shared aesthetic



A sort of spacious, 'lighter', slightly glitchy effects at times, lots of female backing vox...no good melodies from Matt (sigh), no interesting changes in direction during the compositions - just a clunky af one in that awful lead single (and opener!). I can't really describe a single thing that impressed me about any of the songs released so far. Even 'Light Years' is second tier within that category of National tune - at best it's got a sort of understated simplicity and charm. It's no Soho Riots though.



Maybe it'll all make sense strung together...but I wouldn't want to listen to the three songs released together so far in a row because as a grouping they would bore me to tears - so hopefully the stuff that's going to knock our socks off has been held back? Seems unlikely.



The tracks released in advance from SWB were the best songs pretty much, give or take.

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

I guess it is about time the boys have a truly divisive album, this one was close but the general reception was still exceedingly positive. I’d like to think that as much as I adore Matt and co that I would be able to see through that and admit if the songs really weren’t that good but so far I’ve enjoyed them all.

Perhaps at this point all a song needs for me to love it is just to have Matt singing something sad, the Dessners playing some pretty guitar and Bryan laying down some drums (I think we can all agree Scott has always been the least essential member of the band ;-P ). All I know is that these guys are currently and for the last 5 or so years the most important band in my life and while I don’t want them to fuck it up it’s also really hard for me to believe they even can at this point.

Album Rating: 4.5

Boney - how'd you rank/rate the three pre release tracks?