Educate me about The National

Lebarque

This is a band that I know I should like. Where do I start?

Teyeplayer

At the beginning (early days) with the EP ‘Cherry Tree’ (About Today is beautiful and All The Wine is the best drunk song ever) then move onto Alligator and the rest becomes a joyous blur between Boxer, High Violet and Trouble Will Find Me. Enjoy the journey as you arrive at the latest album and forthcoming release in June/July.

JezWynd

Start here -

fendergibson

Off to see them in Mcr this summer - can’t wait !

Winny_Pooh

High Violet
then 
Boxer

stickyfiddle

Start with something live. I like the Sydney Opera House show from the TWFM tour or the Elbphilharmonie show from SWB, which includes Lisa Hannigan which is only ever going to make a great thing even better.

I love 2 tracks from Alligator (Abel and Mr November, FWIW), I like 2 others and can barely get through the rest. The live versions are miles better anyway, so I wouldn't dive into that first, personally. 

Everything since Boxer is excellent in different ways. They get more synthy/blippy-bloppy as they go on, but the songwriting is great throughout and it's genuinely all great. 

My favourite songs from each record, in chronological order, would be Fake Empire, Slow Show, Apartment Story, Terrible Love, Bloodbuzz Ohio, Vanderlyle, Graceless, I Need My Girl, Day I Die, The System..., and Dark Side of the Gym.

But really just ignore all that and watch these and pick your favourites and go from there: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWd0EWKpH94

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jc_Ikvrfp6I


Then listen to this from the new record, which is utterly heartbreaking and completely brilliant. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FQtSn_vak0

Then buy an offset. Because you won't be able to resist after all that.

Stuckfast

As someone who gave up on them because Boxer was shite, am I likely to be any more impressed with the rest of their output? And have they dropped that really annoying songwriting tic whereby every time he thinks of a vaguely clever lyric he repeats it at least three times just so you know that he's thought of a vaguely clever lyric?

matdotcodot

Yes he has

matdotcodot

Yes he has

matdotcodot

Yes he has

Winny_Pooh

Stuckfast said:

As someone who gave up on them because Boxer was shite, am I likely to be any more impressed with the rest of their output? And have they dropped that really annoying songwriting tic whereby every time he thinks of a vaguely clever lyric he repeats it at least three times just so you know that he's thought of a vaguely clever lyric?

Boxer was shite? You're dead wrong first off, secondly they're not the band for you so I'd just move on.

Iamnobody

Sad songs For Dirty Lovers often gets overlooked from their catalogue. I really don’t know why...it’s a brilliant album.

I think they are one of the best bands around at the moment - live and on record.

Stuckfast

Maybe shite is too harsh but my feelings when it came out were that this was a band who just seemed really really pleased with themselves, and it was all a bit smug and annoying.

Also Boxer is possibly the most over-compressed recording I've ever heard, it's painful to listen to.

stickyfiddle

Stuckfast said:

Maybe shite is too harsh but my feelings when it came out were that this was a band who just seemed really really pleased with themselves, and it was all a bit smug and annoying.

Also Boxer is possibly the most over-compressed recording I've ever heard, it's painful to listen to.

To be fair, I also hated them when Boxer came out. I tried really hard at the time but just didn't get it, and hated Matt's voice for some reason.

I picked them back up about a year ago and kicked myself for not doing so earlier - they're easily in my top 3 current bands. 

I'd try again with some of the stuff posted above, but if it doesn't grab you then it's not the end of the world

horse

The timing of the intro transition on Fake Empire is genius in my opinion. Also the chorus on Bloodbuzz has something really hypnotic about it for me.

redrighthand

Alligator is amazing, Boxer and High Violet superb too. I think Alligator is a headphone record, the gentler songs need you to hear the lyrics to really appreciate them.

Their drummer is outstanding - him and the lyrics are the driving forces for me.

The 2017 Glastonbury performance they did was amazing.  The songs can be a bit different live, more pace and dynamic - and Glasto 17 was a prime example. Sadly the BBC footage isn't online currently - but here's a concert from Sydney which is great too. If you don't have 2 hrs to spare check out:

Bloodbuzz Ohio: 

Mr November: 

Abel and Slow Show: 

Enjoy the guitars too - vintage offset heaven!

By the way if pitch perfect vocals are your thing look away. If energy and emotion are - plough on.

Oh and here's one more. One of my absolute faves - All the Wine from Alligator

robwright

Check out the documentary Mistaken For Strangers by Matt Berningers brother Tom - funny, quirky and quite moving. 

danishbacon

robwright said:

Check out the documentary Mistaken For Strangers by Matt Berningers brother Tom - funny, quirky and quite moving. 

This

Iamnobody

horse said:

The timing of the intro transition on Fake Empire is genius in my opinion. Also the chorus on Bloodbuzz has something really hypnotic about it for me.

I’m learning the piano part to Fake Empire with my 7 year old daughter. It’s got a tricky rhythm for her as the left hand’s doing 3 beats to the bar and the right 4.

She loves it...here’s a link to the YouTube lesson. Anyone could play this with practice.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lBnioErBc98

The exercises and nursery rhymes she does in her formal lessons are great but being able to play along with Daddy’s music really peaked her interest. 

I haven’t tried to play many National songs on guitar though. The parts often compliment the whole song rather than being something obvious to play stand alone. I feel the same way about the guitar on Nick Cave songs - two of my favourite bands but I hardly know a full song by either. 

So - recommendations on which National songs are rewarding to play on guitar?

stickyfiddle

Iamnobody said:

horse said:

The timing of the intro transition on Fake Empire is genius in my opinion. Also the chorus on Bloodbuzz has something really hypnotic about it for me.

I’m learning the piano part to Fake Empire with my 7 year old daughter. It’s got a tricky rhythm for her as the left hand’s doing 3 beats to the bar and the right 4.

She loves it...here’s a link to the YouTube lesson. Anyone could play this with practice.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lBnioErBc98

The exercises and nursery rhymes she does in her formal lessons are great but being able to play along with Daddy’s music really peaked her interest. 

I haven’t tried to play many National songs on guitar though. The parts often compliment the whole song rather than being something obvious to play stand alone. I feel the same way about the guitar on Nick Cave songs - two of my favourite bands but I hardly know a full song by either. 

So - recommendations on which National songs are rewarding to play on guitar?

I know what you mean. I can’t play Fake Empire. Each hand individually is fine but together just fucks me up.

For guitar, I’d say:

Slow Show
Apartment Story
I Need My Girl (usually single guitar with delay for the main line, but also see the NPR Tiny Desk with twin-guitar version)
Mr November
I Should Live In Salt
Vanderlyle (live show closer - all acoustic, really lovely)

Iamnobody

Nice one I’ll have a look at those - I’d add in TSoDiTD as the only one I’ve learnt but it’s great. Need to have a proper go at nailing the solo one day...