The National: Sunshine on My B&Ck

[intedomine]

After a shitty day at work, I was on my way home in the subway and get a text from my wife saying that they are playing in our local Apple Store. There were conflicting messages on whether you could still get in or needed tickets. I head there and it's quiet outside, with maybe 100-150 people inside around the band. Managed to hear the final 3 songs they played (in what was I think a 40 minute set). I love the low key events they managed to put together for their album releases. Also: I love this band. They sounded so fucking awesome. Guilty Party has an incredible crescendo live - already a favorite of mine.

What a cool experience, to just rock up to your local and The Nash are casually smashing out a few tunes [emoji44]

Looking forward to release day tomorrow. System Only Dreams.. still my favourite so far.

 

[Dalton]

Dark Side of the Gym is surprisingly sexy.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

I'm not enjoying this as much as Trouble Will Find Me, its good and several tracks I really like (Nobody Else Will Be There is so far my favourite) it doesn't have anything that is really jumping out so far like I should Live In Salt or Humiliation.

 

[cobl04]

fuck!!! I forgot it's out!!!

 

[LemonMelon]

It's an album of moments for me. Intros, outros, bridges that are wonderful or surprising, even if the whole song isn't an all-timer. Empire Line is super interesting, but it really takes off at the end thanks to Bryan, who is the MVP of this album. I'll Still Destroy You is aces throughout but the outro is one of my favorite National moments of all time. The guitar solo for The System takes a really good song and makes it a fantastic one. The production is also gorgeous, super crisp and loaded with fresh textures for the band. This is a way, way better sounding album than the last two. For the first time since Boxer, the studio doesn't sound like it's an obstacle for them. They're actually using it to their benefit.

And how about Turtleneck? That's the nastiest rocker they've made since Sad Songs.

Only song I really don't feel anything towards right now is Walk It Back, which is intriguing but never finds a melody I care about. Very strange track and you can really hear a Radiohead influence on that one.

 

[iron yuppie]

I'm cautiously going to say this is their best album, despite being their least immediate aside from the debut. It's beautiful and devastating in ways only this band could accomplish.

 

[david]

Listening via Apple Music. Going to the record store tomorrow. Also going to be broke. Damn, so many good albums have been released these past few weeks.

 

[cobl04]

omg only an 8.0 from pitchfork. fuck them i will never read the site again

 

[LemonMelon]

It's fucking amazing that a rock band 15-20 years old is still racking up 8s from them with every release, especially with the levels of popularity they've achieved.

They turned on Animal Collective long ago.

 

[iron yuppie]

omg only an 8.0 from pitchfork. fuck them i will never read the site again

The review reads a lot higher than that. Really not a single criticism in there.

 

[u2popmofo]

I'm enjoying it a great deal so far, NEW NATIONALZ U GUYZEZ!!1!11!!!

 

[Dalton]

I think the only criticism I'd level at this album would be that since Alligator all of their albums have played like a soundtrack to my life. This one doesn't resonate like that. Existential angst of the upper middle class? I get it. But I'm pretty happy and stable in my relationships, so the lyrics haven't hit me thus far. Other than that, I'm loving it.

 

[the tourist]

Dang. So good!

 

[Imperor]

I have a difficult time evaluating this band because I have no semblance of objectivity left when it comes to them. But yeah, this is perfect.

 

[purpleblackeye]

This album is much more of a grower than the prior ones. When I listened to a leaked version a few days ago I was a little underwhelmed but after seeing them live on Tuesday and then hearing the proper album today a few times I think it's amazing. Empire Line is a current favorite and Dark Side of the Gym is lovely. Turtleneck and Day I Die give it some kick. They are great rockers. I loved on Tuesday how Matt on Turtleneck gave it some good old screams from back in the Alligator days. It was awesome. Funny guy too - when he played Carin at the Liquor Store, he said "this one's for Yoko." And when he introduced the System Only Dreams in Total Darkness song he's like to the audience after they started cheering: wait, I didn't finish reading the title.

I can't help but think that The National is the best American rock band at this point.

 

[nielsgov]

This is brilliant. They really are on one hell of a run since 2003. If you're weakest album in that run is High Violet then you're doing a lot right.

 

[digitize]

The National: Sunshine on My B&Ck

Loving it already. Nothing on it has struck me as being as grand of some of the top tracks of HV and TWFM, but everything is still wonderful.

The end of Dark Side of the Gym is brilliant. I've been listening to that song all day.

It's almost a little disappointing over how much better I feel about this album than Songs of Experience.

 

[gump]

Ok, here's a challenge. Name a sequence of albums released in this century that is better than Alligator-Boxer-High Violet-Trouble Will Find Me-Sleep Well Beast (while fully recognizing that it is too early to judge the later).

Radiohead from Kid A through A Moon Shaped Pool is the obvious answer, but are there other collections that are near in quality to what The National has put out? Maybe Kanye, but I'd argue it's more uneven (even if the peaks are higher).

 

[david]

http://davidmichaelreyes.com/misc/C43F4EE2-1158-49C1-873B-8AC0A5C82B1C.jpg

 

[david]

Cool die cut sleeves:

http://davidmichaelreyes.com/misc/IMG_9201.JPG

 

[iron yuppie]

Ok, here's a challenge. Name a sequence of albums released in this century that is better than Alligator-Boxer-High Violet-Trouble Will Find Me-Sleep Well Beast (while fully recognizing that it is too early to judge the later).

Radiohead from Kid A through A Moon Shaped Pool is the obvious answer, but are there other collections that are near in quality to what The National has put out? Maybe Kanye, but I'd argue it's more uneven (even if the peaks are higher).

From where I'm sitting, there are three competitors:

Radiohead from Kid A on.

Beach House from Devotion on.

Sufjan from Michigan on.

Deerhunter has had a hell of a run as well, though not quite as impressive as the three above.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

I would put the entire White Stripes album run up there. Brilliant band from this century but maybe forgotten a bit because they called it quits many years ago now.

EDIT: Ah shit. Their debut came out in '99? Well then we can say from Dr Stijl on.

 

[lazarus]

What GAF said. And Super Furry Animals, easily. And Los Campesinos! And those bands are a lot more exciting and inventive.

But I've never been much of a National fan and have had a hard time getting into most of their albums.

From what I've read of this new one it sounds like it might be less boring than the others so I'm gonna check it out.

 

[namkcuR]

What GAF said. And Super Furry Animals, easily. And Los Campesinos! And those bands are a lot more exciting and inventive.

But I've never been much of a National fan and have had a hard time getting into most of their albums.

From what I've read of this new one it sounds like it might be less boring than the others so I'm gonna check it out.

Wow, I thought I was the only B&C-er who hasn't been able to get into The National yet. I don't dislike them, and every time I've listened to their albums, it's been pleasant, but not particularly memorable. Like, I don't remember how most of it goes. Still willing to give them more of a chance though.

As for the question: does it have to be a band's entire output since 2000 or can we cut a streak off at a certain point? Because I feel like Arcade Fire's streak of Funeral/Neon Bible/The Suburbs ought to get a mention, despite more recent output being less exciting.

 

[the tourist]

Ok, here's a challenge. Name a sequence of albums released in this century that is better than Alligator-Boxer-High Violet-Trouble Will Find Me-Sleep Well Beast (while fully recognizing that it is too early to judge the later).

Can't think of anyone right now. Hoping to be able to say Tame Impala two albums from now.

 

[Kieran McConville]

.

 

[LemonMelon]

Kanye for 2000-2010 (College Dropout, Late Registration, Graduation, 808s, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy), Kendrick for 2010-present (Section.80, Good Kid Maad City, To Pimp a Butterfly, Untitled Unmastered, DAMN).

Spoon and The National can battle it out for the title of most consistently good band of the 21st century.

 

[namkcuR]

Kanye for 2000-2010 (College Dropout, Late Registration, Graduation, 808s, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy), Kendrick for 2010-present (Section.80, Good Kid Maad City, To Pimp a Butterfly, Untitled Unmastered, DAMN).

Spoon and The National can battle it out for the title of most consistently good band of the 21st century.

Other than Radiohead you mean? I don't see how they're not it.

 

[LemonMelon]

Other than Radiohead you mean? I don't see how they're not it.

Because I don't think Amnesiac, Hail to the Thief or The King of Limbs are especially great or innovative albums. They all have great tracks, but I put Kanye's 21st century work ahead of theirs because even his stumbles required enormous artistic risk and proved influential; 808s & Heartbreak served as the foundation for 2010s hip hop and R&B. Meanwhile, I'd argue the last truly cutting edge Radiohead album came out 17 years ago.

Kid A, In Rainbows and A Moon Shaped Pool are three of my favorite albums of the century though, don't get me wrong. There's just a lot of material filling those 7-8 year gaps between masterpieces that I think is weaker than the best music of the period. I'd argue Radiohead was the best band of 1995-2007, if nothing else.

 

[namkcuR]

Because I don't think Amnesiac, Hail to the Thief or The King of Limbs are especially great or innovative albums. They all have great tracks, but I put Kanye's 21st century work ahead of theirs because even his stumbles required enormous artistic risk and proved influential; 808s and Heartbreak served as the foundation for '10s hip hop and R&B.

Kid A, In Rainbows and A Moon Shaped Pool are three of my favorite albums of the century, but that isn't quite enough to make them my favorite artist of the past 17 years. They're up there.

I wasn't even talking about Kanye. I meant the last thing you said about Spoon and The National.

Only KOL is weak enough to threaten the string imo.