The National - Trouble Will Find Anthony Fantano

[IWasBored]

So I'm the only one who really, really likes demons, apparently. But it's all shimmery, with contrasting apathetic vocals, yet a hint of catchiness to the chorus. How is that not wonderful?

[LemonMelon]

You're not. Cobbler just listed it as a highlight and I'd say it's my 3rd or 4th favorite (probably not company you want to be aligned with but hey). Excellent song.

[PhilsFan]

Originally Posted by cobl04

Care to reassess this comment now you own it?

I knew you had the booklet, I just wanted to dwell on the idea that you could have read it and still gotten it wrong.

[PhilsFan]

Humiliation
Graceless
Don't Swallow the Cap
Pink Rabbits
This Is the Last Time

[cobl04]

Also, it is now impossible to argue Bryan Devendorf is not the best drummer in rock. Many of The National's songs would be quite lacklustre in the hands of another drummer. He is the only drummer around at the moment who I actively listen to, if that makes sense... because he's so powerful, so atypical, really helps drive the songs. Take Sea of Love, for example, he keeps what in most songs would be an intro beat for the first one or two bars going for 40 seconds, before getting even more fierce, and then dropping back for the "if I stay here, trouble will find me" part.

Originally Posted by PhilsFan

I knew you had the booklet, I just wanted to dwell on the idea that you could have read it and still gotten it wrong.

Ah. Sorry to disappoint.

[LemonMelon]

This is the Last Time
Humiliation
Demons
I Should Live in Salt
Sea of Love

[cobl04]

Fantano's review is fair enough, just his opinion. I can see where he's coming from - I'd say a few of those things about Boxer - though I obviously passionately disagree. But I'm with Jive, he doesn't deserve to be in our title.

[IWasBored]

Originally Posted by LemonMelon

You're not. Cobbler just listed it as a highlight and I'd say it's my 3rd or 4th favorite (probably not company you want to be aligned with but hey). Excellent song.

Yeah, but since when does cobbler count?

Just kidding, I didn't see his post.

Still not hugely fond of dont swallow the cap. It's not bad, I'm just not a huge fan.

[LemonMelon]

Don't Swallow the Cap is pretty much Brainy part 2 and I wasn't a huge fan of Brainy part 1. It's a nice midtempo track with a steady beat that for whatever reason doesn't stick with me. It's nice and comfortable though, just the band doing their thing.

[Kieran McConville]

Demons has never lost its lacklustre ho-hum quality for me, but whatever, it's one song. On the whole, a good strong record. I really am starting to think it gets better in the second half, with Graceless, Humiliation, I Need My Girl etc.

[cobl04]

That anxious guitar line running through I Need My Girl really takes it to another level. What could be a run-of-the-mill "I miss my girl" song becomes something much stronger with the instrumentation.

[Jive Turkey]

Originally Posted by IWasBored

So I'm the only one who really, really likes demons, apparently. But it's all shimmery, with contrasting apathetic vocals, yet a hint of catchiness to the chorus. How is that not wonderful?

I went out of my way to heap praise on it twice. Take me off ignore, betch!

[Danny Boy]

It seems the Japanese release has a bonus track called Learning. I'm trying to find a stream of it somewhere.

[Kieran McConville]

Originally Posted by cobl04

That anxious guitar line running through I Need My Girl really takes it to another level. What could be a run-of-the-mill "I miss my girl" song becomes something much stronger with the instrumentation.

Totally, especially that shift in tone towards the end.

[iron yuppie]

Originally Posted by cobl04

That anxious guitar line running through I Need My Girl really takes it to another level. What could be a run-of-the-mill "I miss my girl" song becomes something much stronger with the instrumentation.

Totally agreed.

[iron yuppie]

Originally Posted by Danny Boy

It seems the Japanese release has a bonus track called Learning. I'm trying to find a stream of it somewhere.

Just wait a few months for the deluxe edition.

[Danny Boy]

Originally Posted by iron yuppie

Just wait a few months for the deluxe edition.

Unfortunately you are probably spot on.

[HeartlandGirl]

Also voting for a thread title change. I don't really want to be stuck with this one for the next 900 or so posts about The National.

[LemonMelon]

If you're TROUBLED by the title, PM a mod and wait for the wheels of justice to turn.

Can't wait to frequent The National Discussion.

[No spoken words]

Four full listens thus far. It's fair to say that I really like the album a lot and have not come close to feeling like skipping any one song. I feel like it's not their best, but, it's their best track sequencing in my opinion....the album just seems to flow* perfectly from one song to the next. Very consistent....I hope that does not sound like I'm damning it with faint praise because I am not.

Bryan Devendorf could be my favorite current drummer. He's just inventive as fuck and my ear fixates on what he's doing without me even thinking about it.

I also like that on two different tracks I was unsure if that was even Matt singing for a few seconds.

So, yeah, I'm digging it a lot and look forward to many more listens. It's nice to have an album on my hands that I legitimately want to live with, as it were, for a while.

*WTF?