Album Rating: 4.4 | Sound Off

Afraid of Everyone was so good live, they totally changed the mood and made it sound as loud as something like Terrible Love.

Album Rating: 2.5 | Sound Off

Exactly doof !

Album Rating: 4.5

Ah, now I see, you might be right...



'High Violet' does sh*t on this a bit

Album Rating: 4.4 | Sound Off

best album of the decade it is

Album Rating: 2.5 | Sound Off

I was expecting the fall to come with TWFM but unbelievably the band still delivered. I just think they’ve missed something on this one. There’s a bit of richness, depth and class which just isn’t there for me on this one. Maybe they’ve changed maybe I have but hey ho.

Album Rating: 4.4 | Sound Off

This is near perfect imo, but the biggest flaw I can see is the two weakest songs on the album (still good tho), Turtleneck and Empire Line, essentially being the centerpiece. First 5 songs and last 5 totally live up to their previous 4 albums.

Album Rating: 2.5 | Sound Off

Maybe not so much with TWFM which is still class but the previous 3 had something which made them special and unique.

Alligator with its bite

Fake Empire with its loungey luxury.

HV with its bleakness.

I’d say TWFM was special in how it delivered after a run of such great albums.



This is hum drum, it’s ‘nice’ and there’s nothing special about pleasantness.

Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off

album is pretty damn tepid indeed..

not exactly my favourite of theirs either, indeed

Album Rating: 4.5

I'm so fucking close to giving this a 5, still in love with it

Album Rating: 4.0

It's aite

Album Rating: 4.0

Finally falling for Born To Beg, that song had never stood out for me, but it's now one of my favorites on the album

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

[Finally falling for Born To Beg, that song had never stood out for me, but it's now one of my favorites on the album]



the The National magic, almost everything clicks giving it time. At least for me.

Album Rating: 5.0

Hardly any tunes on here. Just Devendorf's beats, Berningner's growl.



Listening to it again today and it's a great album. Surprised it didn't get them noticed more the way HV did.

Album Rating: 4.0

I mean, it got them a Grammy and went to no 1 in the UK

Album Rating: 5.0

It got them a grammy? Oh. I didn't know that.



It just seemed to be left off all the year end lists, in the UK anyways, compared to say St Vincent.

Album Rating: 4.0

Yeah, fair point on the year end lists. I reckon they're as big now as they can get really given their style and aesthetic.



They'd still be higher up a Glasto lineup and are able to sell more nights in London than St Vincent, so swings and roundabouts maybe

Album Rating: 5.0

They won't get much bigger commercially but that's not the same as critically. I think sometimes it's to do with the previous album. TWFM flew them a little too close to a Coldplay sun - which tainted the critical reception of this album.

Album Rating: 4.0

Hmm I dunno, they've had massive critical acclaim for all their albums since Alligator. I think that, High Violet and Boxer are slightly better than this to be fair

Also most of the reviews these days say they've released another really good album, bit haven't really reinvented themselves as a band. That way they might see massive critical acclaim again.

I personally don't want them to change their sound massively in a Radiohead sort of way, so I'll settle for commercial success and solid acclaim for one of my favourite bands ever

Album Rating: 4.5

Who would have thought that this would be a grower? Incredible band!