The National: Sunshine on My B&Ck

[LemonMelon]

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.

I did so much editing to that post after you quoted it

Think of my post as more praise for Spoon and The National than a critique of Radiohead. The Spoon discography in particular is a huge outlier in rock and they've received a lot of love for being for so reliable over the years. 7 good-great albums from 2001-present with 0 obvious clunkers.

 

[iron yuppie]

And Los Campesinos!

Don't know how you can make this claim with Hello Sadness sitting smack in the middle of their catalogue.

 

[iron yuppie]

Another I would nominate is Tim Hecker. Not a well-known artist by any means, but he's in the midst of four masterpieces in a row.

 

[LemonMelon]

Another I would nominate is Tim Hecker. Not a well-known artist by any means, but he's in the midst of four masterpieces in a row.

I've heard all of his solo albums except for Mirages and An Imaginary Country and they're all pretty good or better. Harmony in Ultraviolet and Virgins are fantastic. Definitely one of the most consistent artists going.

Love Streams didn't get a lot of love, which was odd.

 

[gump]

Don't know how you can make this claim with Hello Sadness sitting smack in the middle of their catalogue.

My thinking exactly. The main point I was trying to make is consistent excellence. Spoon is a very good call, but they still have Transference as their 5th album this century.

Sufjan I agree with. Michigan-Carrie & Lowell rivals Alligator (or Sad Songs... really)-present.

 

[cobl04]

Glad to see a few comments here about it being not immediate/a grower, because my first listen was pretty underwhelming :/

 

[the tourist]

I listened to The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness only twice before the album came out, so I haven't had as much exposure as some others, but it's quickly moving up to being one of my top songs by The National.

 

[david]

The National: Sunshine on My B&Ck

This has become a nighttime album for me. Though, Turtleneck is stuck in my head.

 

[intedomine]

Listened a few times (although each listen has sadly been compromised by interruptions/distractions. Just want an hour to myself!) and I think this has the capacity to become a grower.

May i just remark how wonderful the one-two of Nobody Else Will Be There and Day I Die is. Both quintessential National, both utterly lovely.

I was a little unconvinced by Day I Die following it's initial standalone release, but (pleasingly) I can't get it out of my head.

 

[cobl04]

I do hope this one grows on me, I'm sure it will. But after a couple of listens I'm not feeling it much at all. What Dalton said really resonated with me - Trouble Will Find Me came out just when I needed it, and it would be in my top 20 or so albums of all time. I connected with it immediately. This one feels a little like Boxer to me, in its hushed ways and tunes that take a while to unfold themselves. I adore Nobody Else Will Be There, I love the almost whisper vocals from Matt, which he also uses on Sleep Well Beast, which I also love. He sounds a little like Pop-era Bono on the former. System Only Dreams in Total Darkness still comfortably the best track, and Dark Side of the Gym is fucking beautiful. Also like Guilty Party. But a lot of the rest is leaving me a bit cold at the moment. Day I Die has wicked guitar but the chorus is awful, Born to Beg sucks.

There’s also two parts to two songs that sound SO much like other songs, but I can’t put my finger on what. Can people help me??? The guitar in Walk it Back (starts at 2:17 at one point) sounds identical to what I think is a Sufjan Stevens song, maybe off Carrie & Lowell? And then at 1:48 in Empire Line there’s a lovely piano line that comes in that sounds identical to another song, but I can’t fucking think of what it is.

 

[cobl04]

Omgggg I figured it out finally. It's LEMON. The piano in Empire Line is identical to the piano in the chorus of Lemon

 

[iron yuppie]

I do hope this one grows on me, I'm sure it will. But after a couple of listens I'm not feeling it much at all. What Dalton said really resonated with me - Trouble Will Find Me came out just when I needed it, and it would be in my top 20 or so albums of all time. I connected with it immediately. This one feels a little like Boxer to me, in its hushed ways and tunes that take a while to unfold themselves. I adore Nobody Else Will Be There, I love the almost whisper vocals from Matt, which he also uses on Sleep Well Beast, which I also love. He sounds a little like Pop-era Bono on the former. System Only Dreams in Total Darkness still comfortably the best track, and Dark Side of the Gym is fucking beautiful. Also like Guilty Party. But a lot of the rest is leaving me a bit cold at the moment. Day I Die has wicked guitar but the chorus is awful, Born to Beg sucks.

I had basically the opposite reaction, which was I felt an immediate need to go back to it after the first listen. I've had it on repeat ever since, which is to say that it is speaking to me strongly. In a sense, I wouldn't want someone to feel connected to this album, because it is a bleak affair - brutally confessional in a way Matt hasn't been before. Lyrically, there's really no abstraction or projection here at all as far as I can tell.

What was it about Trouble that connected with you so much?

 

[confluencekid]

There’s also two parts to two songs that sound SO much like other songs, but I can’t put my finger on what. Can people help me??? The guitar in Walk it Back (starts at 2:17 at one point) sounds identical to what I think is a Sufjan Stevens song, maybe off Carrie & Lowell? And then at 1:48 in Empire Line there’s a lovely piano line that comes in that sounds identical to another song, but I can’t fucking think of what it is.

Yeah I hear Sufjan's Fourth of July in Walk in Back.

 

[cobl04]

Yeah I hear Sufjan's Fourth of July in Walk in Back.

YES!!! THat's what it is. I just couldn't be bothered listening to the whole album to find it. It sounds exactly like Fourth of July, and that piano part in Empire Line sounds exactly like Lemon. Amazing.

(My partner also says Nobody Else Will Be There sounds like Angels by The xx, but I never listened to them.)

 

[PhilsFan]

I think this is more consistent than Trouble Will Find Me and the Boxer comparisons have merit. I think my big issue early on here is the pacing. I think a lot of this album is at a similar, methodical pace, and there aren't enough high energy tracks to break that up. When I listen to the whole album through, I sort of get lost by the time it gets to the end. I cannot remember what the last few songs sound like, consequently.

 

[david]

Heh, Empire Line would fit in well on Zooropa.

 

[cobl04]

I had basically the opposite reaction, which was I felt an immediate need to go back to it after the first listen. I've had it on repeat ever since, which is to say that it is speaking to me strongly. In a sense, I wouldn't want someone to feel connected to this album, because it is a bleak affair - brutally confessional in a way Matt hasn't been before. Lyrically, there's really no abstraction or projection here at all as far as I can tell.

What was it about Trouble that connected with you so much?

To me, it's a combination of his lyrics and the Radiohead-levels of musicianship.

I've never come across an album that so perfectly captures anxiety than Trouble Will Find Me. Nearly every single track has several lines that just remind you that you're not alone. "Jennifer you are not the only to lay awake til the wild feelings leave you". "I couldn't find quiet, I went out the rain / I was just soaking my head to unrattle my brain". "When I walk into the room I do not light it up / fuck". "I keep coming back here where everything's slipped". "Is there a powder to erase this? / You can't imagine how I hate this".

And it also came at the exact point in my life where anxiety was taking over me, and it helped keep me grounded, helped remind me that it was gonna be okay, and that I wasn't alone.

And then you have the music, which continues to blow me away. Take This is the Last Time: the mood does a complete 180 three-quarters of the way through and it's completely seamless. The piano in Pink Rabbits, the drumming on Humiliation (fuck, the drumming everywhere), the enlivening guitar of Sea of Love, that anxious guitar line in I Need My Girl, I could go on and on and on about this album.

 

[LemonMelon]

I think my big issue early on here is the pacing. I think a lot of this album is at a similar, methodical pace, and there aren't enough high energy tracks to break that up.

That's odd because I felt the exact opposite. The first half contains the most whiplash pacing of their career, jumping around from rockers to ballads with no buffer and it's exhilarating.

After that, yeah, things slow down.

 

[IWasBored]

Another I would nominate is Tim Hecker. Not a well-known artist by any means, but he's in the midst of four masterpieces in a row.

Spotify recommends the hell out of Tim Hecker to me and I keep seeing these reccomendations like, "isn't that the guy iyup is a big fan of? i've got a better shot at agreeing with cobbler opinions."

Which speaking of, I'm with cobbler on hoping this thing grows on me. Initially it could be my least favorite thing they've done, though.

 

[gump]

That's odd because I felt the exact opposite. The first half contains the most whiplash pacing of their career, jumping around from rockers to ballads with no buffer and it's exhilarating.

After that, yeah, things slow down.

Yeah, the sequencing in that first half is just incredible. The transition from Nobody Else Will Be There to Day I Die is perfect.

 

[purpleblackeye]

The last two minutes of Empire Line are glorious....when he starts to sing "I've been talking about you to myself...." Gets me every time. And Guilty Party is one of the most emotional songs they've written. My all time favorite remains Pink Rabbits though.

 

[ImOuttaControl]

I hope this is a grower...After a few listens I don't feel very compelled to go back and listen all the way through like I did with Alligator, High Violet and Trouble Will Find Me. Some gorgeous tracks for sure, but some that I have no desire to listen to again.

 

[ImOuttaControl]

I think this is more consistent than Trouble Will Find Me

Out of curiosity, what part of Trouble Will Find Me do you find inconsistent? I personally find it to be incredibly consistent...one of the few albums from the last few years that I listen to and never skip a single track.

 

[Dalton]

I do hope this one grows on me, I'm sure it will. But after a couple of listens I'm not feeling it much at all. What Dalton said really resonated with me - Trouble Will Find Me came out just when I needed it, and it would be in my top 20 or so albums of all time. I connected with it immediately. This one feels a little like Boxer to me, in its hushed ways and tunes that take a while to unfold themselves. I adore Nobody Else Will Be There, I love the almost whisper vocals from Matt, which he also uses on Sleep Well Beast, which I also love. He sounds a little like Pop-era Bono on the former. System Only Dreams in Total Darkness still comfortably the best track, and Dark Side of the Gym is fucking beautiful. Also like Guilty Party. But a lot of the rest is leaving me a bit cold at the moment. Day I Die has wicked guitar but the chorus is awful, Born to Beg sucks.

There’s also two parts to two songs that sound SO much like other songs, but I can’t put my finger on what. Can people help me??? The guitar in Walk it Back (starts at 2:17 at one point) sounds identical to what I think is a Sufjan Stevens song, maybe off Carrie & Lowell? And then at 1:48 in Empire Line there’s a lovely piano line that comes in that sounds identical to another song, but I can’t fucking think of what it is.

After my first several listens, I would have guessed that this would be my least fave of the big 5, but after a week I'm guessing it'll end up right behind Boxer and HV and ahead of Alligator and TWFM.

This thing has really grown on me

 

[PhilsFan]

Out of curiosity, what part of Trouble Will Find Me do you find inconsistent? I personally find it to be incredibly consistent...one of the few albums from the last few years that I listen to and never skip a single track.

This is a very consistent band, so it's not as much of a knock as it sounds. That said, I consider Fireproof and Heavenfaced to be filler and I'm not a big fan of Sea of Love either. I could lose those three without losing any sleep.

 

[the tourist]

Out of curiosity, what part of Trouble Will Find Me do you find inconsistent? I personally find it to be incredibly consistent...one of the few albums from the last few years that I listen to and never skip a single track.

I'm with you on that. It's probably why it's my favorite. Might not have the incredible peaks in my estimation (Mr. November, Slow Show, Bloodbuzz, System, etc), but it's incredibly consistantly really good.

 

[iron yuppie]

This is a very consistent band, so it's not as much of a knock as it sounds. That said, I consider Fireproof and Heavenfaced to be filler and I'm not a big fan of Sea of Love either. I could lose those three without losing any sleep.

Basically this, the ballads are hit and miss. Pink Rabbits and I Need My Girl are stellar, but the others fall a bit flat or feel slight.

Disagree with you about Sea of Love, though. That one hits straight to the gut.

 

[cobl04]

Yep, both Fireproof and Heavenfaced are a bit off (though I still enjoy both at times) and could easily be cut. The remaining 10 tracks though are fucking stellar.

 

[Dalton]

Yep, both Fireproof and Heavenfaced are a bit off (though I still enjoy both at times) and could easily be cut. The remaining 10 tracks though are fucking stellar.

Fireproof isn't my favorite song, but that guitar is too gorgeous to keep off the album.

 

[Imperor]

Fireproof is the worst song they've ever put on an album. I legitimately like every track on the debut more than it.