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The National
A bunch of rock snobs from Ohio schooled themselves in the hipster rock canon, moved to Williamsburg, and then realized what a farce the New York Scene was. Out of this epiphany was born The National who make emotionally unstable rock with Americana roots with shades of Leonard Cohen.
"Never tell the one you love / That you do," sings Matt Berninger in his wounded, guilty croon, in the opening song off of Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers; instead of professing love, they appear to recommend writing an entire album of heartbreak and misguided decisions, composed under the haze neon light of late night diners and along the gritty deserted streets of Brooklyn at three in the morning. And on occasion, Berninger cannot take the pain he's inflicted on himself, collapsing into a pile of rubble and tortured screams as in "Available." The rough edges of The National's dark, brooding songs mix beautifully with moodily atmospheric backgrounds. Like constantly irritating a recent wound, The National are not content to let bygones be bygones, instead documenting every painful detail of every beautiful disaster, down to the smallest speck of dirt. Resigned to misery, their songs tackle regret, sorrow, and guilt, while swaying back and forth along with pedal steel, keyboards, and violins; it's the emotionally cathartic flicker of lights that will soon burn out and leave behind only faded memories.
The National - Cardinal Song
The National - Available
The National - Slipping Husband
The National - Wasp Nest
The National - Cold Girl Fever
The National official site. Buy Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers from the band's site or Amazon.
Posted by Queen of the Front Row at 03.09.05 at 11:10 AM
Comments
son of a gun, i didn't even realize they were playing .
Posted by: [ juan ] at 03.09.05 at 4:33 PM
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