The National - Trouble Will Find Anthony Fantano

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Sydney was today at 11. Didn't know myself until an email from the promotors popped in my inbox at 10.58.
 
Stray thoughts on the last couple of pages:

-I would prefer a shorter album and a transition from Cap to Sea of Love over Fireproof, but "Jennifer, you're not the only reason/My head is boiling and my hands are freezing" really knocks me out.

-"God loves everybody/don't remind me" is a classic line.

-Hard to Find is boring and they should have placed Exile Vilify in the closing spot, giving it the respect it deserves as a top 5 National track and improving the album significantly. It would also transition nicely out of the piano-driven Pink Rabbits.

-The opening duo on TWFM is criminally underrated. You should be imprisoned for not liking those tracks.

-This Is The Last Time and Humiliation cause my heart to climb into my throat every time I hear them, thus making them my favorites, despite them making me vaguely uncomfortable while listening.

-The debut blows and Fireproof would be a standout on it.

-Heavenfaced has one of the band's most natural and successful melodies, but is slightly hampered by the lyrics.
 
Hard To Find is a beautiful closer that works very well as a finishing, melancholic coda on a very cohesive album. Putting Exile Vilify there is a silly idea. It doesn't work as a closer and it is a song that is already more than two years old. They don't need to pull out 2011 songs in the midst of their creative peak.

Otherwise I agree with your assessments, although I'd cut Slipped before I'd cut Fireproof. But I don't mind Slipped that much. It slows down the record a lot, but it's not that much of a mood-killer as a couple of tracks on High Violet or Boxer.

In any case, I still think it's their best since Alligator.
 
Where in the last couple of pages did someone say they didn't like Salt or Demons? Great songs.

Hard to Find is underrated. The guitar line and the horns during the "they can all... just kiss off into the air" parts are beautiful.

"I'm not holding out for you / but I'm still watching for the signs" is one of my favourite lyrics on the album.

Another pointless track ranking while I'm here

This is the Last Time
Pink Rabbits
Sea of Love
Graceless
Don't Swallow the Cap
Humiliation
I Need My Girl
Demons
Hard to Find
Slipped
I Should Live in Salt
Heavenfaced
Fireproof

Just slightly behind High Violet for me, and beats Alligator and Boxer pretty comfortably.
 
I remember when Demons was first released the general reaction was quite muted. I'm glad that has changed, because it is a brilliant track.
 
It's a classic example of a track functioning better as a piece of an album. It definitely is a great song, but it isn't quite lead single material.
 
Sea of Love seems to be the obvious lead single choice. Glad that they made a video for it eventually.
 
I heard Don't Swallow the Cap a lot on satellite radio the week of the release. I think that would have been a good choice for first single.
 
It was a pretty big hit on the Flemish alternative radio station. Heard it lots of times in June and early Juli.
 
I'd cut Slipped before I'd cut Fireproof.
In any case, I still think it's their best since Alligator.
Agreed on both counts. Slipped is just a bit boring musically and the lyrics aren't strong enough to make up for that.
 
Slipped would be pedestrian musically if not for the guitar flourishes that the Dessners throw in. I particularly like the one that leads into the second verse.
 
"Slipped" name checks my old stomping grounds, so it's tough for me to not to add a personal bent and overrate it.
 
Slipped has grown on me, but it's still down there with Fireproof and Hard to Find for me. Not bad, but not something I would go out of my way to listen to outside of the album. If I had to keep one, I would keep Slipped.

The other 10 songs on the album are awesome, which is why I prefer this album to High Violet. There aren't 10 awesome songs on HV, more like 6 or 7.
 
No. I really like it. It reminds me of the more moody tracks on Alligator, which is not a bad thing.
 
Slipped has grown on me, but it's still down there with Fireproof and Hard to Find for me. Not bad, but not something I would go out of my way to listen to outside of the album. If I had to keep one, I would keep Slipped.

The other 10 songs on the album are awesome, which is why I prefer this album to High Violet. There aren't 10 awesome songs on HV, more like 6 or 7.

While I do hold Slipped in higher regard - I agree with you that there about 10 songs I love on the new album vs 6 or 7 on High Violet.
 
I don't think they could have chosen a better backing vocalist for Don't Swallow the Cap than Sharon Van Etten.
 
We were really hoping she'd take the stage when I saw them here (she opened) on one of the tracks she's done backup on. She didn't.
 
At Bonnaroo, Annie was groovin' sidestage during "Bloodbuzz" before joining for "This is the Last Time." Needless to say, my dehydration got even worse.
 
Did I ever tell you guys I held Annie up for a few seconds during one of her crowdsurfing jaunts? Good times.
 
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