The National: Sunshine on My B&Ck
I feel like LM and djerdap you've not seen the film? That would explain a lot imo.
From what I have read, the band was ready to take a big break after some pretty punishing recording and touring in recent years. And then Mike Mills came to them, and it's been a collaboration from there. I do think the Passengers comparison is apt (though only because we're all massive U2 nerds, there's not that many similarities otherwise) because it is so collaborative, and the liner notes show that. (I got the Cherry Tree version, and the credits span about four or five pages.)
For context: I saw the film about a week-and-a-half ago, at a local screening at a theatre (followed by a listening party that we ditched cos we couldn't hear the album). I really loved it, having gone in with no expectations. It is a lovely, moving and interesting quarter-hour-long piece of art, and, I would argue, absolutely essential in understanding and appreciating the album. They're seperate, of course, so for casual fans there's no need, but for anyone who's been here so long for The National, I'd argue it's essential viewing.
With that out of the way, I love the album after my first proper listen. Yes: it's inaccessible, it's their Passengers, it's shocking, given the fact that they have such a well-established sound. But that's the first thing I love about this record. It is really daring for them. And you can complain about its one-notedness -- a fair criticism -- but it pushes the boundaries of 'The National' far more than anything else they have done, and I think they deserve a lot of credit for it.
It isn't likely to become my favourite album of theirs, or even close to, which is completely fine, because I have six albums already that fill my traditional National needs. But I am so happy to have something that is really quite different, from the wealth of female vocals, to the really quite experimental song structures, the electronic flourishes that pick up where Sleep Well Beast left off, the instrumentals, the church-y parts, the connection to a film, it really is something totally different and it is an awesome addition to have to my National collection.
In terms of favourite songs so far, mine are You Had Your Soul With You, Quiet Light, I Am Easy to Find, Where is Her Head (which has a gigantic Springsteen vibe), So Far So Fast, Rylan and Light Years, but all the songs are growing on me.
I guess I'll be the odd one out and say that I find the album to be an enormous disappointment at this early stage. 65 minutes of slow burn ballads and Matt serving as a background singer for far less distinctive vocalists? Hard pass. Very little stood out, though some passages were very pretty and somewhat surprising coming from this band. So Far So Fast's outro is excellent.
Perhaps the experimentation at play could inspire a much better record in the future, but this is pretty damn weak to their standards on the songwriting front and the limited contributions of one of my favorite singers drove me nuts.
He isn't even that limited. He goes missing a bit on Side C (another point - this album is
incredibly well-sequenced for vinyl) but outside of that 15-20 minutes his vocals are there pretty strongly.
In any case... this band had done six very good to great albums in a row (plus an amazing EP), and I don't think this is a bad album by any margin, but a downward spiral starts with almost any band. This might be that point for me.
What are the songs you "genuinely and utterly" dislike? Even taking off my fan hat, I'm not sure what could promote such a visceral reaction. I understand not digging the album based on its largely slow pace, but no songs were bad to my ears. Not in Kansas I can see being divisive, but I still liked it.
Classic djerdap though to write that last paragraph. The end of The National. :eyeroll:
Other problems: over-reliance on drum machines when one of the best drummers in indie rock is right there, plus a paucity of sticky, memorable melodies. I still get Nobody Else Will Be There and Day I Die stuck in my head, but I can't remember much of anything from this new album that I just heard.
On the plus side, Light Years is their best closer since Mr. November. That's a keeper.
You've had SWB for two years, IAETF for a day......
Also, I think there's plenty of great drum lines on this album from yes I agree, one of the very best drummers in indie rock.
(Also, Day I Die is comfortably the worst song on SWB.)
IRylan is wildly out of place, I think - but the upside there is the song is so much a reflection of its time that it highlights how much the band has grown over the last decade.
What do you mean by this? Would love to hear you elaborate.
