The National Laugh Track
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Spec
September 21st 2023


39452 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

Agreed this is good stuff.

fogza
Contributing Reviewer
September 21st 2023


9812 Comments

Album Rating: 2.5

so i had a cursory listen to this, it's more boring average stuff. the more i get disappointed by the national, the more i realise i just don't like the production or vocal choices they've adopted in their big leagues phase

StickFeit
September 21st 2023


2272 Comments


It’s better than I expected, not that I expected much. It’s better than Frankenstein and the abomination IAEtF

DoofDoof
September 21st 2023


15065 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

The best five songs on this and the best five songs on ‘Easy to Find’ aren’t that far apart though



IAETF just has some abysmal lows and feels all over the place and scattergun, whereas this has some consistency working for it…even if it’s a mostly snoozy consistency

fogza
Contributing Reviewer
September 21st 2023


9812 Comments

Album Rating: 2.5

i'm kinda hoping i'll like everything post HV more in concert. even though there was a dip in songwriting as well, i think the national also lost something sonically, maybe live they'll shed some of the studio stuff which blunts their delivery. i'm actually looking forward to matt's shittier live vocals

DoofDoof
September 21st 2023


15065 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

I enjoyed watching them last year, but only a third of the set was ‘nu-National’

fogza
Contributing Reviewer
September 21st 2023


9812 Comments

Album Rating: 2.5

this album has made me kinda re-evaluate SWB though, I still don't like it but it's better than these last three, was probably a bit harsh on it

Butkuiss
September 21st 2023


7039 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

SWB is up there with TWFM which is only a very very slight drop off from Alligator - HV. Honestly, Sad Songs to SWB are all classic to me.

TalonsOfFire
Emeritus
September 21st 2023


20969 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

I slightly prefer SWB to TWFM, but both harbored signs of their decline despite being excellent. Laugh Track really sounds like a proper follow-up to SWB and shares more similarities than the other two, despite not being that much better than IAEtF.

And this band sure lost a lot of goodwill with fans huh, years ago this would be at page 30 or something after a few days. Having been variably disappointed by most of my favorite still active bands over the recent years, I’m trying to appreciate this return to quality for one of my top favs. But I’m not kidding myself that another Boxer or HV is on the horizon or anything.

StickFeit
September 21st 2023


2272 Comments


“despite not being that much better than IAEtF”

Ha good one Talons

TheArtofTheGanja
September 21st 2023


399 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

not as much of a slog as IAETF

cylinder
September 21st 2023


2514 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0

IAETF was so much better than these last two turds

AmericanFlagAsh
September 21st 2023


13297 Comments


IAETF is great

sevencif
September 21st 2023


4 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

So much hate for IAETF, but I didn't think it was that big of a drop-off from SWB (I gave it a 4 vs. SWB's 5).

You Had Your Soul With You, Quiet Light, Oblivions, The Pull Of You, I Am Easy To Find, Where Is Her Head, Not In Kansas, Hairpin Turns, Rylan, and Light Years are all solid, memorable National songs imo.

Sure, there's some fat that could be trimmed throughout, but the overall experience of the record I remember as a pleasant one. Soundtracked many rainy days driving in New York rather well!

Johnnythemell
September 21st 2023


1 Comments


If you don’t like my review I will hunt down everyone’s IP and home addresses and kill all of you with hatred

TalonsOfFire
Emeritus
September 22nd 2023


20969 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

Yeah IAEtF is at least 7/10; So Far So Fast, I Am Easy To Find, Quiet Light, Oblivions, Where Is Her Head, Hairpin Turns, Rylan, and Light Years are all great.

juiceviaorange
September 22nd 2023


1051 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Wow, I'm really liking this. Definitely a bit more adventurous than Frankenstein.

Sowing
Moderator
September 22nd 2023


43954 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Yeah, this isn't as consistent as their classic era, but it has a lot of the same traits and sounds great.

anat
Contributing Reviewer
September 22nd 2023


5753 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

IAETF is their worst, most self indulgent album

fogza
Contributing Reviewer
September 22nd 2023


9812 Comments

Album Rating: 2.5

true



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