Artist: The National
Title: Trouble Will Find Me
Genre: Indie / Alternative
Release Date: 20th May 13
Label: 4AD Records
Album Review
The emotive and hypnotic NYC troupe, THE NATIONAL, return with ‘Trouble Will Find Me’. ‘High Violet’, their predecessor, was a huge success and highly acclaimed by many critics alike. However, ‘Trouble Will Find Me’ is a stand-alone show, a smaller sound compared to the explosive ‘High Violet’ but the menace and the existential melancholia seethes underneath the belly of these new songs.
So, Matt Berninger and his gang really pull the strings in this record, his deep, baritone vocals are arresting as ever and the lyrics are a perfect lonely cocktail of tears, wisdom, beauty, anger and love. ‘I Should Live In Salt’ is a personal portrayal of a relationship between he and his brother; an affective opening that grips with a taut yet reflective grasp. ‘Sea of Love’, the first single from the album has a vibrant thump, perhaps the most guitar-ridden song off the whole album whereas the sensitive and poignant songs like ‘Heavenfaced’, ‘I Need My Girl’ and ‘Humiliation’ really switch on the goose bumps.
Yes, this is at times a downbeat record but it’s irrefutably enigmatic and wonderful; you can’t dismiss the soul in The National which can only be best described by a lyric taken from the penultimate song on the album, ‘Pink Rabbits’ – “I was a television version of a person with a broken heart”. This bittersweet piece of perfection must be heard! It’s an album so dynamic that it has the power to gently numb your very senses with an exquisite grace; it will live within you like a great poem or favourite phrase.
Tracklist
01. I Should Live In Salt
02. Demons
03. Don’t Swallow The Cap
04. Fireproof
05. Sea Of Love
06. Heavenfaced
07. This Is The Last Time
08. Graceless
09. Slipped
10. I Need My Girl
11. Humiliation
12. Pink Rabbits
13. Hard To Find
Line-up
Matt Berninger - Vocals
Aaron Dessner - Keyboard and Guitar
Bryce Dessner - Guitar
Scott Devendorf - Bass
Bryan Devendorf - Drums
Websites
www.americanmary.com
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 10
Sound: 9.5
Total: 10 / 10
