The National - Trouble Will Find Me

bc he is drunk

i probably wouldn't listen to this band as much as i have were it not for the lyrics

Wow, just starting in on this and this album sounds about as good as this sort of music gets. Really sad and gorgeous. Def. of a piece with their past, which means, basically, like U2 had U2 taken a different, darker, less populist path.

"Demons" reminds me of "Drive" by the Cars.

"i should live in salt" is a really unassuming opener compared to "fake empire" and "terrible love"

better for it, imo

the national are at their best for me when they construct their songs around two, three, really strong hooks

feel like geese of beverly hill / city middle from alligator are the best examples of this for me, and the lyrics make them, "serve me the sky with a big slice of lemon" / "you were parking your car, you said i'm overwhelmed, you were thinking out loud"

probably the second one is a lil' too on the nose about what a sad sack indie loser finds poignant but *looks in mirror* *laughs nervously*

I'm amazed that (the to all appearances well adjusted) Berninger can so easily shift into this mode. Well, I mean, maybe it's not easy, but he's not dead, so clearly he's got a system.

xxxxp Many, many years ago, when Boxer came out, I asked him about all his lyrics about drinking and pouring a drink and being drunk, etc, because they seemed to reflect the kind of desire to escape from reality and responsibilities that songwriters typically condemn or demonize. But his reasoning for all the drinking references is that he just really enjoys drinking. For him, drinking is a romantic impulse, not a shameful one.

“In songwriting, there aren’t any rules. You don’t have to grow up and be responsible. When I’m sitting, writing lyrics and drinking wine, I don’t want to have to solve the issues in my life or anything else’s, or write a political song. That’s the last thing I wanted to do: I just want to get kind of drunk. And so, for me, the band is the place to do that. The rest of my life is what I take seriously.”

That always stuck with me for some reason. I think a lot of the band's appeal is that the create this safe space where it's ok to just have a drink, consequences be damned

oh so now it's Berninger who wants to start a fight about what's a political song

Let's talk about wine baby, let's talk about you and me

it's ok to just have a drink, consequences be damned

or even have a drink, consequences are then experienced but aren't mediated with any kind of judgment

The other theme I always linked to the Nationals is finance/workplace, which is something I always found refreshing somehow.

For some reason, I've been listening to Berninger as Id (or Super Ego?) to Gregg Dulli's Ego.

Ohio etc.

relistened to high violet and i think the production lets it down; comes off as a nothing-y wash. but i love "lemonworld" and "england"

"England" is grand.

Also, this group epitomizes the maxim that a band is only as good as its drummer.

OTM. It's even more palpable at concerts.

Their drummer is their lead guitarist imo

their drummer is their not-so-secret weapon mos def

duh

for real

god i hope i never have to go through a break up again but at least i know the national and this album will be there for me...
this thought is among my first impressions

finally heard this all the way through; was all ready to yell about the length and yet, i guess bc of how well they sustain the mood, it feels shorter than it is

"pink rabbits" is tremendous

when we finally meet you can buy me a pink rabbit and we can determine whether it produces effects and scenarios like Berninger describes.

Speaking of which, does that refer to this beer? Hadn't heard of it before.

http://www.idrink.com/v.html?id=50190

that sounds revolting

Can't picture Berninger drinking such a thing.

re drummers felt this was about tindersticks. they had an amazing drummer. and then they didn't, and their music stopped being very good.

well the drummer came back and they reformed as 'the national' have you checked them out?

felt this way

cover of this album has that "by virtue of the hype and the market this record should be a Big Record with a Big Concept but we don't know what it is so we're just going to give you this kind of bombastic minimalist cover image to ponder" thing

see also coldplay and a lot of other british bands

i'm trying to not let that aspect of it spoil my enjoyment

For sure, cover reminds me of:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/45/A_Rush_of_Blood_to_the_Head.jpg/220px-A_Rush_of_Blood_to_the_Head.jpg

well it's someone trapped in a mirror which to be fair is what most national songs are about

?

"i need my girl" is devastating

that arpeggio?

?

idk feel like a lot of national songs are like a fall of details + feeling extremely lost in self-reflection

im goin thru the glass again/come and find me
god loves everybody/don't remind me

yeah it's one of their catchiest little guitar riffs in a minute, al

on a scale of one to ten how depressing is this?

Brad Nelso otm

Brad Nelso

this is your new name

easier to type

when i walk into a room
i do not light it up.

fuck.

remember when you lost your shit and drove the car into the garden?
you got out and said “i’m sorry” to the vines and no one saw it.

yeah this album is a return to a heavier focus on lyrics (verses at least) compared to HOOKS ONLY m.o. of high violet

that might explain my reluctance

it's okay to be sad, alfred

don't turn into the lex on me here.