Genre: American pop/rock
Places I remember: MNAC selection
Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Oblivions
Gear costume: You Had Your Soul With You
Active compensatory factors: This was an album recommended by a member of Monday Night Album Club recently.
Turns out some of the MNACers know and love The National for personal reasons that are of long standing.
This is a tad daunting because I know they are deeply invested in the band and I am brand new to them (which is kind of the point of MNAC). My only previous experience of the band was watching them perform on Later...with Jools Holland in the company of MNAC sister act - Fran Kirkham.
She also loved them and, in retrospect, I believe my somewhat underwhelmed response was ill considered.
Luckily, listening to their new album is a happier experience - they are a band I could easily love too - especially the faster paced songs (some of the mid paced and slower stuff will take me longer to love).
In the positive column: the poppier songs appeal (lead off song: You Had Your Soul With You and Where Is Her Head are favourites), songs often build in a lovely way (Hey Rosie), and the mix of female and male lead voices on songs like Oblivions is hugely appealing (I understand this isn't typical of their approach).
Bottom line - a good introduction. These songs are growing on me.
Where do they all belong? I must have missed Lew's link so I pieced the album together from studio and live footage on YouTube. It was easy to find. Not ideal but the visual aspect actually helped.
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