[MUSIC] THE SAVAGE ANIMAL "First Impressions of The National" 02.02.11 BY MIKEY MIGO Yes. It's that time again. For those who are new or just stumbling upon this column, every few weeks I'll take the time out to listen to a band's complete discography. Like anyone, there is stuff that I miss out on. Everyone has their favorites and their "range" so to speak. This, coupled with the fact we only have so much time in a day, makes it impossible to hear every band or artist out there. Some bands you just miss out on. It happens, but it's easy to correct. Listen. What I do is listen to a band's complete studio discography. I've had some great luck exposing myself to acts like Simon and Garfunkel, The Stooges, The Smiths, Regina Spektor, Arcade Fire, and The Black Keys. At the same time, I've punished myself with Kings of Leon, Breaking Benjamin, Portishead, and other groups that were torture to endure. The point is that I'm listening with an open and hopeful mind. Sure making fun of something is fun at times, but not for an entire discography. I genuinely want to enjoy myself and find something new and different to add to my own personal musical lexicon. Whatever the opinion, I'll share it with you written in real time as I listen and form my own first impression. Why The National? The name has been popping up in music publications for years now. I know the name of "The National", but nothing else really. They're just one of those bands. I have an idea of how I think they sound. They're labeled "indie rock". In 2011, there is a fairly clear definition of "indie rock". I'm expecting something witty, somber, and throw-backish. I won't know until I listen though. I'm sure I've heard at least one song or have seen at least one video. I just couldn't tell you what song or what video for the life of me. I'm hoping that's because my mind was elsewhere and I was just being distracted. The other potential option is that I was unimpressed. I'm about to listen to all five of their studio albums so I'm really hoping for some good here. The National (2001 – 44 Minutes) - The band's 2001 debut starts off with "Beautiful Head". It's a slow burner, but kicks in. It's a stripped down sound. The vocals are pretty cool. His voice on this reminds me of a cross between Bowie and Julian Casablancas. I don't know how that works, but it does. We sway into "Cold Girl Fever". I'm still trying to put my finger on it. I'm trying to figure out a good comparison for The National. They sound like a lot of stuff, stuff I dig. This song is laid back, but with catchy melody and really interesting music. I was hesitant when I heard "The Perfect Song" because where do you go from there? Once you have heard the perfect song, why even listen to the rest? Luckily, it's just a title. It's not a bad tune. It's a good foot tapper. It really feels like "American Mary" is a cover. By that I mean it feels so familiar and gritty that you can't help but wonder where it's really from. The distant drumming only makes "Son" even more haunting. It's one of those weird situations where beauty and creepy dance. The song is over five minutes, which may be a little overkill on a song that barely changes up at all. I don't even think there's a bridge in it. "Pay for Me" is a bit more upbeat and you could almost dance to it. You can really hear the "country" guitar twangs in this, but it's more in that ironic Pixie style than legit. The coolest song ever is "Bitters & Absolut". "You don't look so good, your bottom lip is bleeding". We have male and female vocals coming together for really good song. It's got some great lyrics. We go into the 80's for "John's Star". It's a throbbing montage-style base line and some synthy-goodness lurks under this should have been Bauhaus track. "Watching You Well" comes and goes. I like the guitar playing on it, but it feels like filler. The opening of "Theory of the Crows" builds me up for something way bigger than what's delivered. The vocals are too distant and the drum is too prominent. It's hard to listen to. The organ and production on "29 Years" is great, but the song just kind of goes on. The album closes with "Anna Freud". It's a good tune and one of the better songs on the album. The music is addicting and the fade out is good stuff. I'm a bit taken back. From just about Jump Street, the album is interesting. It's a bit down tempo and dry, but I think that's what works for it. It's listed as "alternative country" and I can almost see that. My issue is that "country" has become "twang-pop" over the years so it cheapens the substance of the songs. Musically, it's great. Vocally, it's great. Lyrically, it's great. It just doesn't mesh together all that great. His vocals are deep and dry, but it works for some people like Leonard Cohen or partial-Bowie, but it lacks something to really hold on to. It feels like they're wearing their influences on their sleeves, but their sleeves are a tad too long. Great potential though and I hope to hear that come out as we go on. Solid debut though for sure. Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers (2003 – 45 Minutes) - The second album kicks off with a six plus minute "Cardinal Song". The production is clearly better and finer tuned. In a lot of cases, I'd prefer gritty over produced, but the levels are perfect. It's a slow burn, but a pleasant one. The music at the end is worth the price of the CD alone. "Slipping Husband" is bad ass. You can't help but be overtaken by the music. It builds and goes into an almost funk-rock tune. The end, we get raw and primal outburst that's more powerful as anything I've recently heard. I enjoy "90-Mile Water Wall", but it feels like it's missing something. "It Never Happened" leaves me loss for words until about 2 and half minutes in. It's not mind blowing, but mind numbing in haze-like way. The break down is what makes this song what it is. A laser sound kicks off "Murder Me Rachael". It has the music and vocal deliver of an 80's synth pop song, but had the gruff and grunt of a grunge song. I like it. The song is good, but the musical composition that is "Thirsty" is downright amazing. It's like being suffocated by your favorite memory. "Available" kicks off like early 80's U2. The bridge in the middle is cool and then goes right back at it. Good stuff. "Sugar Wife" is weird. It has some great music, but lyrically it's eh. It's probably the best filler I've heard in awhile though. The drum beat and upper-tempo of "Trophy Wife" is a nice change up. For just over two minutes, "Fashion Coat" is a good catchy song. The opening tempo and build of "Patterns of Fairytales" already tells me that I'm going to be hearing something special. The thing is that the song never shifts from this build. I kept waiting for it to kick in, but it doesn't. It sounds cool, but doesn't really feel like it goes anywhere. The album closes with "Lucky You", a slow brooding of a tempo. It sways into that "country rock" area, but changes up about half way in with some coolness, and then some oomph. This album was better than the first, but still lacks that certain extra something to make it as great as I think it could be. I still think it's the lack of emotion in the vocals. Deep and strained doesn't mean anything if the entire album is sung in such a way. I like the dude's voice, but I'd like to hear more of it than the drone-talk. Musically, this album was top notch. I can hear the growth and from the way the critics judged their albums, their next two should blow me away. Let's see… Alligator (2005 – 48 Minutes) - We kick this critically acclaimed album off with "Secret Meeting". It's got a pleasant groove and slight swagger. "Karen" has more life to it than most songs I've heard by The National. There is something "open" about it. It doesn't feel so tight and dry. "Lit Up", which looks to be their big single from their album, is pretty cool. It does sound a little more radio-friendly than the others, but Linkin Park it's most definitely not. I couldn't help but laugh at "Looking for Astronauts". The song kicks in with the lyrics of "we're out looking for astronauts". It's a good song, but nothing sticks to my brain. The plucky guitars of "Daughters of the Soho Riots" and vocals make for a great piece. There is something noisy about "Baby, We'll Be Fine" that I can't put my finger on. It's got an okay melody, but there's just too much going on. "Friend of Mine" has a different sound all together. It feels off to me for some reason. "Val Jester" is melodious and somber. It's over before I can put together words to really describe it. It's good. I think my favorite track on the album could be "All the Wine". It's got plenty of attitude and you can't help but nod a long to it a little. "Abel ", the first single of the album, is another track that just sounds like a single. The album is about two step back into somberness and this is a tad more "showy". It doesn't "sell out" or anything, it's just a little flashier and it makes sense for it to be a single. It's a solid track, but not my favorite. The opening of "The Geese of Beverly Road" sounds like score from a projector movie I'd have to watch in early grade school during the really early 90s. I'm a big fan of "City Middle". It's the type of song you want to pass out to after a night of heavy drinking. The song "Mr. November" got tons of attention because of its political ties. I really like it. It's more upbeat and has more emotion in the vocals than the other songs. It just feels like they're reaching because nothing else sounds like it. I'm surprised it wasn't a single. I had to say I think I liked their second album better than this one. This one isn't bad, but nothing really stood out as something I'd go out of my way to listen to again. Their next album is said to be their best. I hope so. Boxer (2007 – 44 Minutes) - This album starts off with the single, "Fake Empire". It builds with piano and the same somber low voiced vocals. It takes for what feels like forever for the drums to kick in, but when it does it makes for a much better song. "Mistaken for Strangers", the first single released from this album, sounds a bit more polished. The vocals have more bounce to them and the music has a bit brighter tempo. It's almost shades of The Killers, but still a ways off. The dig the distant opening of "Brainy". Drums kick in and then vocals and guitar. What happens next is pretty much the band's best song so far. It's not as topical or as bouncy, but it's definitely the most solid of the bunch. The erratic drumming at the beginning of "Squalor Victoria" makes me think I'm in for something different. Then what sounds like violins kick in and it's pretty trippy and weird. I really like the trip that "Green Gloves" took me on. It has a really somber and calming feel to it. It's like drifting in a boat with an empty bottle of wine. I don't know what the hell I'm talking about, but I did dig the song. "Slow Show" almost feels mumbled until the end. I really feel like I've heard this song before. Maybe in a TV show or something, but it does sound familiar. In all the good ways. The second single from this album, "Apartment Story", rocks in the drum department. It's another really good song. I can't stop my head from nodding along and my foot from tapping. Good stuff. "Start a War" is another down tempo affair. The arrangement in "Guest Room" seems off, but that could be on purpose. Something about it takes me out of the listening experience and the album. I want it to end. I like "Racing Like a Pro" a lot more, but only because the music is really soothing. The song will be forgotten before I go to sleep tonight. The music of "Ada" is beautiful. I'd put it in the top ten of their songs I've heard so far for sure. I don't get why it wasn't put out as a single. This fourth album wraps up with "Gospel". It's good stuff. I don't know how to describe it. It sounds like every other song they've made, but in the upper echelon of their work thus far. I heard some good songs on here, but nothing really stood out to me. In fact, it's probably still not as good as the second album. A lot of websites put this album in such high regards that it was considered one of the top ten albums of the decade. No. They are wrong. Good, but not THAT great. Unless I read it wrong and its bands almost named after a MLB team. High Violet (2010 – 48 Minutes) - The fifth and most recent album starts with "Terrible Love". It sounds different. It doesn't sound so much like the first four albums. You can hear where it comes from, but there is more of a distinct voice here. I hope the rest is in the same ball park. There is more of the older sound in "Sorrow", but it has so much more life to it. The swaggeriffic sway to "Anyone's Ghost" makes for a good time. I like it a lot. The title "Little Faith" feels a little bitter sweet. I'll be honest, by this point I was with very little faith this band would do anything to really get a stir out of me. This song isn't a savior or anything, but so far the album is solid work. "Afraid of Everyone" just may be the best song of their entire catalogue. It puts you at almost a haunting ease. The vocals display some emotion and the song is just really damn good. There is something demanding about "Bloodbuzz Ohio". It's not aggressive on any level, but I find myself focusing on it pretty hard. "Lemonworld" doesn't seem like much, but there's more to it if you listen and pay attention. Big fan of the "do-do-do-do's". "Runaway" sounds nothing like Kanye West, but it's probably the most stripped down and somber track on this album. "Conversation 16" is good, but feels like feeler. Then again I have trouble calling any song that says "I was afraid I'd eat your brains" anything close to filler. Nevertheless. Dude sings on "England" better than any other track. It sounds great too. The slow tempo "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks" closes us out. It's the type of song that you'd want to close your album. I know I'm probably alone in this, but I really feel like this is their best album. THE VERDICT: THE NATIONAL (2001 - – 5 Studio Albums) -When I first started listening to these five albums I was pretty optimistic. I thought I was going to turn it on and be blown away. At least this is what I was hoping for. What I got was good stuff. The first two albums were better for my ears than the third and fourth, which most critics and fans seemed to like the most. The first albums may or may not be better, but in terms of listening to the albums in order it got kind of tedious. The music, vocals, and everything about The National was great. The ingredients were and are still there. My issue is that the band sounds WAY too repetitive. As good as it may sound, it takes away from the awesomeness of what they do. The vocals keep going and going and sounding the same despite the music being glorious. At times I felt like I was listening to Bowie, Lou Reed, Elliot Smith, Leonard Cohen, the lead singer of the Crash Test Dummies. It's just hard to put my finger on. Their last album displayed more vocal emotion and everything seemed to click. I am happy to hear them evolve in that direction. Will I listen to much of The National come tomorrow? Maybe a few songs will make my playlist rotation, but not really. I did dig this last album a lot and will probably listen to it again in the future. But it's just that that I'm looking forward to, the future. I can't wait to hear what they do next. If they progress from what they did on "High Violet" they'll break out to a much high level. I wouldn't go as a far as saying I'm now a fan, but rather a respectful supporter. Go National! Go!