Nu-National: rated & reimagined
don't ever read the description of a list |
| 1 |  | The National
Trouble Will Find Me
INTRO
The National are my favourite band. They have been so for some years now, and they probably will keep that status. It is clear, however, the bandâs heyday is in the past. |
| 2 |  | The National
Sleep Well Beast
In hindsight, âSleep Well Beastâ was a turning point. It was a damn good album, one I still return to, but it ended the near-perfect streak âAlligatorâ had started. It revealed some changes that would become a problem on later releases: less room for Scott Devendorf to show off his intricate drum patterns, more electronic drums and flourishes and overall just less interesting songwriting. |
| 3 |  | The National
I Am Easy to Find
2019âs âI Am Easy To Findâ was a mess. I tried, but very little of the sixty-tree minutes of ineffective features, pointless interludes and weak songwriting stuck with me. Single and album opener âYou Had Your Soul With Youâ was everything I didnât want The National to be: annoying, unmemorable, clumsyâŚIt was a major disappointment to me and significantly lowered my predictions for future material. |
| 4 |  | The National
First Two Pages of Frankenstein
Maybe these lowered expectations explain why Iâm a lot less negative about the new albums than most people. Iâve spent a lot of time with âTwo Pages of Frankensteinâ this year and concluded that, despite its shortcomings, the album really has something to offer. The same applies to Septemberâs âLaugh Trackâ. |
| 5 |  | The National
Laugh Track
So allow me to navigate you around these patchy tracklists. Iâll even give you a playlist/mixtape of Nu-National songs that I think wouldâve made a strong album. |
| 6 | | The National
First Two Pages of Frankenstein
ELEVEN RATINGS OF FRANKENSTEIN |
| 7 | | The National
First Two Pages of Frankenstein
1. Once Upon A Poolside [5]
A gorgeous song that sets the stage perfectly for the rest of the album. Up there with their best openers. |
| 8 | | The National
First Two Pages of Frankenstein
2. Eucalyptus [3]
Iâm so conflicted on âEucalyptusâ. On the one hand, I feel it kills the momentum and lacks all the subtlety The National usually display. The refrains are nice enough, but the chorus is annoying and the bridge so obvious. And yetâŚthe song *is* catchy, and I find myself singing along to it. Hmm⌠|
| 9 | | The National
First Two Pages of Frankenstein
3. New Order T-Shirt [5]
After a couple of spins, âNew Order T-Shirtâ revealed itself to be the highlight of the album. Beautiful lyrics about memories of a loved one, gentle guitar arpeggios, some classic Berninger melodiesâŚit has it all. Reminds me a of âHard to Findâ. |
| 10 | | The National
First Two Pages of Frankenstein
4. This Isnât Helping [3]
The stately âThis Isnât Helpingâ is the better of the two Phoebe songs on Frankenstein, has some nice harmonies going for it, but is ultimately a bit forgettable. |
| 11 | | The National
First Two Pages of Frankenstein
5. Tropic Morning News [4]
âTropic Morning Newsâ is an obvious winner. Energetic, pacey and triumphant, itâs an easy stand-out on an album filled with ballads. |
| 12 | | The National
First Two Pages of Frankenstein
6. Alien [4]
âAlienâ is a bit lost in the tracklist, so it took some time to grow on me. I really like the pre-chorus and the way the song slowly builds to a subtle climax, the way âEmpire Lineâ did on âSleep Well Beastâ. |
| 13 | | The National
First Two Pages of Frankenstein
7. The Alcott [2]
Nope, I donât feel this one. Annoying thing is I did have this song in my head sometimes after finishing the album. Give me some tips to forget it⌠|
| 14 | | The National
First Two Pages of Frankenstein
8. Grease in Your Hair [4]
Similar to âTropic Morning Newsâ, âGrease in Your Hairâ brings some needed energy to the table. Wouldnât have been a highlight on the older albums, but here it works nicely. |
| 15 | | The National
First Two Pages of Frankenstein
9. Ice Machines [3]
Another grower: at first uninterestingly lightweight, now pleasantly light-footed. Couldâve been shortened to three minutes though. |
| 16 | | The National
First Two Pages of Frankenstein
10. Your Mind Is Not Your Friend [2]
I can only remember the part where Matt & Phoebe sing the title, and oh I guess it starts with a piano. Song is slow and boring. |
| 17 | | The National
First Two Pages of Frankenstein
11. Send For Me [3]
I want to give âSend For Meâ the benefit of the doubt, for it is nice and breezy and a fitting closer, but it is also (again) rather unmemorable. |
| 18 | | The National
Laugh Track
LAUGH TRACK-BY-TRACK |
| 19 | | The National
Laugh Track
1. Alphabet City [4]
Once again, a really good opener. âAlphabet Cityâ has tension and urgency, and (falsely?) promises 'Laugh Track' is gonna be more interesting than 'Two Pages of Frankenstein'. |
| 20 | | The National
Laugh Track
2. Deep End (Paul's in Pieces) [3]
By the numbers National. Itâs alright. |
| 21 | | The National
Laugh Track
3. Weird Goodbyes [3]
âWeird Goodbyesâ might be the song thatâs the most indicative of the new National era, with its electronics beats and Bon Iver feature. Again, itâs alright. I like the vocal harmonies. |
| 22 | | The National
Laugh Track
4. Turn off the House [5]
Reaaally good. âTurn off the Houseâ captures that old National feeling; finally Scott gets some room to shine, and the aaaahhâs in the chorus are classic. Wish theyâd turn off the house more often. |
| 23 | | The National
Laugh Track
5. Dreaming [2]
Dull. |
| 24 | | The National
Laugh Track
6. Laugh Track (feat. Phoebe Bridgers) [3]
Might actually be a 4. âLaugh Trackâ is far quieter & calmer than the Phoebe songs on Frankenstein, maybe thatâs the reason it works better for me. Simply a very pleasant listen. |
| 25 | | The National
Laugh Track
7. Space Invader [3]
I...don't really understand the hype. âSpace Invaderâs first minutes are regular Nu-National (a.k.a. alright, but a bit boring) and its climax feels heavy-handed. I doubt itâs ever gonna warrant its 7 minutes of runtime for me. |
| 26 | | The National
Laugh Track
8. Hornets [4]
Really nice actually. âHornetsâ feels like something straight off of âSerpentine Prisonâ, Mattâs solo record. Itâs so homely, so cozy; simple but good. Nice horns in the end. |
| 27 | | The National
Laugh Track
9. Coat on a Hook [2]
On âCoat on a Hookâ, Matt shows the opposite of â um â good opening lyrics. Also: itâs annoying howhe stretches his sentences during the chorus. Not a good track. |
| 28 | | The National
Laugh Track
10. Tour Manager [5]
This one caught me right away. Understated & lovely, I donât understand how âTour Managerâ is the least beloved song on the album (if I have to believe RYMâs track ratings). |
| 29 | | The National
Laugh Track
11. Crumble (feat. Rosanne Cash) [3]
Iâm still not really sure what to think of âCrumbleâ. The opening lyrics and their delivery remind me a lot of âCoat on a Hookâ, which is a bad thing, but the song is catchy and nice. I guess Iâm looking for a different vibe when listening to The National (a sad vibe). |
| 30 | | The National
Laugh Track
12. Smoke Detector [3]
I liked âSmoke Detectorâ right off the bat and then it grew off of me very quickly. Itâs cool they tried something different, and I think that explains its positive reception, but I donât think it pays off. The song just doesnât really go anywhere, which maybe is the point of a jam but idk, it doesnât work to me. Thought this was disappointing live as well. |
| 31 |  | The National
Alligator
NU NATIONAL MIXTAPE |
| 32 |  | The National
Boxer
So I have used calculations and ingenious thinking to come up with the following mixtape. It consists of what I think are the best songs of The Nationalâs past three albums, and I have done my best to set them in order as if it was a real album. It is sure to perfectly cater to everyoneâs taste, so get onto it! |
| 33 |  | The National
High Violet
1. Once Upon a Poolside
2. Tropic Morning News
3. Turn off the House
4. Alien
5. Grease in Your Hair
6. New Order T-Shirt
7. So Far So Fast
8. Where Is Her Head
9. Hornets
10. Tour Manager
11. Light Years |
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