The National

[ivan]

No way is it better than High Violet.

Perhaps on the next album they should try just sticking with the base members of The National and having one producer and see if we get a different result.

 

[scatteredscreens]

I personally think it's better than High violet and TWFM, might be 4th best for me

[jyoung]

I've listened to all of I Am Easy To Find, Boxer and Alligator in full already today. Haven't even taken lunch yet.

[zeppelin]

21 minutes ago, Mr.Tease said:

The shit review was from the shit Observer (guardian on Sundays), the better review was from the weekday guardian. Observer articles just get published on the guardian website

Ah thank you. I'm a simple man and just saw The Guardian on both. Seems pretty poor to publish conflicting reviews on the same site. 

20 minutes ago, Mr.Tease said:

So does Sleep Well Beast sound better or worse in comparison to the new album? 

For me SWB has some obvious bigger hitters (The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness for example) that the new one doesn't. But the new one seems like a real grower to me. Each listen I notice a new track. 

So all in all, I don't know ?

[jyoung]

New record will overtake SWB and TWFM in the rankings I reckon.

[Mr.Tease]

1 hour ago, zeppelin said:

Ah thank you. I'm a simple man and just saw The Guardian on both. Seems pretty poor to publish conflicting reviews on the same site. 

For me SWB has some obvious bigger hitters (The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness for example) that the new one doesn't. But the new one seems like a real grower to me. Each listen I notice a new track. 

So all in all, I don't know ?

SWB is a strange album to rank, for me- I love the second half of the album, and it has some  great songs like The System only Dreams, and some of my favourite national songs like 'I'll Still Destroy You' and 'Guilty party', but then it has one of my most disliked (Turtleneck) and Day I Die.

[Vanderlyle]

1 hour ago, ivan said:

The song very much reminds me of The Low Anthem , but yes it needs to lose the choir.

It reminds me of an interview i heard with Jason Pierce and he was asked " when do  you know when to stop adding bits to a track and just let it go as it is ? "  

And he said it was " very difficult to finally say the track was ready and let it get out there "

"Just one more horn or vocal please !"

AC/DC never had that trouble !

Chunks of the album, including the choir here, remind me of what Leonard Cohen did in You Want it Darker. I'd bet they got some inspiration for it.

 

For what it's worth I already like it. A lot. But I probably prefer TWFM and High Violet to Alligator or Boxer so might not be on same wavelength as some here....

[Superunknown]

Think this is definitely more of a grower. Liked it at first but not an instant classic for me as SWB was. Found some of the different sounds from song to song a bit jarring at first but the songs individually have really grown on me, especially Hairpin Turns and The Pull of You. Light Years is one of the best they've written for me. Cracking album.

[jparx]

Yeah the album is great. Friday I called it a grower, and it's certainly grown. 

Not in Kansas is just a masterpiece. Best song they've done since High Violet era.

[Robofish]

How we all differ. I think TWFM was the best album, the best tour and has their best track (Pink Rabbits, although About Today runs it close).

New album has a few moments of unnecessary noodling, but is pretty mesmerising. A lot better than SWB (Carin, System and Nobody Else notwithstanding). 

[Riggins]

It's slowly working its way inside my mind after an unsure start.

As usual.

[When Jokers Attack]

I'm enjoying it but it's not one of their best releases. Could have done without the interludes.

[Hugh Jass]

Not in Kansas would be a masterpiece were it not for those pissing choir interludes.

[zeppelin]

On 5/21/2019 at 5:48 PM, Robofish said:

How we all differ. I think TWFM was the best album, the best tour and has their best track (Pink Rabbits, although About Today runs it close).

New album has a few moments of unnecessary noodling, but is pretty mesmerising. A lot better than SWB (Carin, System and Nobody Else notwithstanding). 

Have you ever made the drink? 

Me and my mates decided to the night before 6music fest in Manchester many years ago. Long story short, it took me the entire Leeds to Manchester train journey to eat my meal deal. 

[Hutchmaster]

43 minutes ago, Hugh Jass said:

Not in Kansas would be a masterpiece were it not for those pissing choir interludes.

The more I listen, the more the one smack bang in the middle of the song gets on my tits. 

[Mr.Tease]

6 minutes ago, Johnkhutch said:

The more I listen, the more the one smack bang in the middle of the song gets on my tits. 

The one that keeps banging on about ticker tape annoys me- it’s not a very good line but it keeps getting sung over and over again

[jyoung]

2 minutes ago, Mr.Tease said:

The one that keeps banging on about ticker tape annoys me- it’s not a very good line but it keeps getting sung over and over again

That's one of my favs!!!

[calamitymaud]

17 minutes ago, jyoung said:

That's one of my favs!!!

Same! Didn't like it at first but after two or three listens it was one of my favourites.

[jyoung]

Just now, calamitymaud said:

Same! Didn't like it at first but after two or three listens it was one of my favourites.

The record is beautiful. I've listened to it every morning since Friday and it's just a joy. So much detail to be discovered in every track. Best thing they've done since High Violet. Cannot wait for Manchester!

[Mr.Tease]

56 minutes ago, jyoung said:

That's one of my favs!!!

I like the rest of the song, I just wish it didn’t say “ticker tape” so much!

[Ashl]

On 11/27/2018 at 6:26 PM, Ashl said:

TWFM

Boxer

Alligator

High Violet (although the last 3 songs rank higher)

Sleep Well Beast

Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers

The Virginia EP

Cherry Tree

The National (the only one I don't listen to much really)

I like I Am Easy to Find a lot more on headphones and I think it will continue to grow on me gradually. The problem I'm having is I loved it when I saw it played live but I don't think the additional songs not played on the live setlist I saw add anything https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-national/2019/royal-festival-hall-london-england-53930b09.html and mostly ruin the flow. I  like Not In Kansas better at the end also!

 

If that was the album it would be verging on Alligator in the list, as it is it feels too disjointed to even go above Sleep Well Beast (see my previous order above Boxer may be back top again at the mo though!).

 

On another topic I quite like taking bands longest albums and filling it with songs in their actual positions from all their albums. If you only have one choice then you are allowed to use a bit of creative licence (so the last 3 in this case, luckily Light Years and Rylan are great choices so 15 is a bonus choice for me from EPs). I also try and avoid follow-on tracks from the same album. Playlist below if anyone is interested!

 

 

National Nerding over!

[ghostdancer1]

still not feeling it. some good tracks but a bit of a mess overall, and a lot of forgettable songs. probably should have cut 3/4 tracks. doesn't really feel like a National album with all the different guests, "The National and friends" would have been more apt. several of the tracks feel like odds and ends left over from the studio that they just cobbled together with little cohesion.

for me it's probably their worst since Sad Songs...

seeing them at 2 festivals this summer and I really hope they drop a lot of these songs from the festival setlists, as I reckon they'll die a death on a main stage with most tracks from this album.

Edited May 22, 2019 by ghostdancer1

[The Other Steve]

Really good article here > https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/22/arts/music/the-national-i-am-easy-to-find.html

[Graf21]

Coffee and flowers have done a good summary of the new album on their podcast - which I only found out about last week.

I have listened to the album 2/3 times a day since it’s release. I wasn’t a fan at first but I think it’s right up there now. Songs like Oblivions and The Pull of You are belting! Shame about the long interludes but overall it’s a classic.

Gutted I’m having to sell my ticket to see them at Castlefield Bowl but thankfully they are playing at Mad Cool the same week!

Also, I’ve noticed Kate Stables who is touring with The National is in a band called This Is The Kit, who are playing at Glastonbury this year. I will have to get myself along.

[ghostdancer1]

Light Years and Rylan on a playlist that Taylor Swift shared to her gazillion fans

https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/playlist-by-me/pl.ae7cd2db31fc4d519725b6747b9074a5

 

she had one for her last album too which had Carin at the Liquor Store, and Dark Side of the Gym on it.

and some El Vy on a previous one too.