When a band has maintained a particular sound over the course of a few albums, it can sometimes be seen as the result of a creative stagnation, or more simply, as a band running out of gas. Once in while though, this musical typecasting doesn't hold true. In the case of The National's newest release, High Violet, this attention to the detail of their sound only shows the determination and enduring workmanship that goes into the refining, not stagnating, of their specific musical aesthetic. The National have been accused by numerous critics of producing "dad-rock", what a damning, though not entirely off-the-mark, description of their music. I say that it is not an entirely untrue description because The National have always, dark and brooding though they may be, mined the worried thoughts and wearied lives of each other as creative fodder. And seeing as how some of the band members are fathers themselves, the inevitable range of conveyed thoughts can stray to the mundane worries of a middle-aged ordinary man. And while this sounds like the most boring societal archetype to write about, The National have imbued their lyrical trips through this landscape with wit and unexpected insight. High Violet cannot be said to be a happy record. To be honest, what album in their discography can be said to have that label. But it's the nuanced feeling derived from these darker, though at times resilient, songs that set The National apart from the rote musings of any given middle-aged band. With High Violet, The National have successfully created an ode to the frenzied, though often ordinary, lives of ordinary men.
Tracklisting:
01. Terrible Love
02. Sorrow
03. Anyone’s Ghost
04. Little Faith
05. Afraid of Everyone
06. Bloodbuzz Ohio (listen to the mp3 below)
07. Lemonworld
08. Runaway
09. Conversation 16
10. England
11. Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks
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