Alligator
by The National
Metascore
82

Universal acclaim - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. AllMusic
    80
    [A] fine collection of city-weary poetry.
  2. Alternative Press
    70
    Packed with timeless rock songs. [May 2005, p.174]
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  3. Billboard
    100
    "Alligator" is easily the National's best effort and quite possibly one of this year's finest records.
  5. cokemachineglow
    86
    Tonally and lyrically somewhere between L. Cohen, Aidan Moffett and David Berman, Berringer's cynical, world-worn love-letters and resigned croon work perfectly with the band's rock steady rhythm-section.
  6. Delusions of Adequacy
    90
    The National seems to have settled into a fine balance between the hungover brooding of Leonard Cohen and the more mellifluous tendencies of Joy Division and Echo and the Bunnymen.
  7. E! Online
    100
    It is the sound of Interpol as reinterpreted by Tom Waits--a breathtaking album with bite.
  8. Entertainment Weekly
    91
    The twilit melodies and Matt Berninger's gossamer vocals will haunt your troubled dreams. [22 Apr 2005, p.64]
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  9. Filter
    91
    Berninger sounds smart and witty; but above all else, he sounds like he really went for it this time. [#15, p.105]
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  10. Junkmedia
    80
    Part of the problem with Alligator is that it echoes so many other records, but part of its satisfaction is that it sets itself apart so well.
  11. Lost At Sea
    85
    While Sad Songs was immediately arresting, able to knock the wind clean from those who found it, Alligator conjures the same black magic on a broader scale, readying itself to be known beyond those small circles.
  12. Mojo
    90
    Walks the same Cold War-era Bowery streets as Interpol but is not more than a half step away from lysergic brilliance. [May 2005, p.108]
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  13. Pitchfork
    79
    Massed vocals and backing harmonies are two of the few things the National have added to their sound since their last album, and though Alligator is satisfying and engaging, it's not quite as bracing as their stellar sophomore outing, 2003's Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers.
  14. Q Magazine
    80
    Like R.E.M. when they were good, [The National's] superficially simple songs have a real depth and resonance. [May 2005, p.114]
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  15. Splendid
    80
    Painstakingly crafted, casually baroque music for people who get off a little bit on feeling blue.
  16. Stylus Magazine
    91
    The National are able to pack as much power into the songs on Alligator as any of the more heralded indie-rock bands working right now, only The National have taken the common influences and grafted them into something altogether fresh and remarkable.
  17. Uncut
    100
    It's their first masterpiece. [Album of the Month, May 2005, p.94]
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  18. Village Voice
    80
    The rest of the band plays straight man, setting up Berninger's punchlines and peeling him off the floor at the end of the night.

Awards & Rankings

49
#49 Best Album of 2005
72
#72 Most Discussed Album of 2005
20
#20 Most Shared Album of 2005

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 152 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 138 out of 152
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 152
  3. Negative: 9 out of 152
  1. DavidR.
    Mar 29, 2008
    10
    A lot appears to have been made about this guys lyrics, with one review dedicated entirely to ripping them for being cold and dispassionate. A lot appears to have been made about this guys lyrics, with one review dedicated entirely to ripping them for being cold and dispassionate. Talk to any creative person and they will tell you art normally flows from sadness and misery. These songs are not uplifting nor are they meant to be. The album is great because it's a perfect expression of someone who admits to his patchy failures, marginal successes, and ultimately the women whom he has used to get through life. Most of the songs sound like they are written on a hungover a few days after breaking up his girlfriend. The songs are deceptively straightforward and beautifully layered, and his lyrics are thought provoking and emotionally delivered. This album truly deserves a 10 and is their best.… Full Review »
  2. toms
    Apr 15, 2005
    10
    my favorite record of the year so far.
  3. notverygood
    Oct 21, 2017
    10
    The National's masterpiece. The National are well known for being a consistent band — all of their post-Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers albums areThe National's masterpiece. The National are well known for being a consistent band — all of their post-Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers albums are brilliant, with lots of good songs on them. While some would argue that Boxer is their best album, for me, Alligator represents everything The National have strived to achieve.

    For a band who are often criticised for being very samey — both sonically and thematically — Alligator is surprisingly diverse. Want an aggressive, powerful, yet deliberately non-partisan political anthem? Listen to Mr. November. You're more of a fan of the archetypical National song — a slow, moving love ballad? You've got Secret Meeting, City Middle or Val Jester. The album also touches upon then-uncharted territory for The National: Friend of Mine recounts the story of fleeting friendship, Abel explosively retells a Bible story and The National sing of their love of their adopted home — New York — in The Geese of Beverly Road and Daughters of the Soho Riots.

    I've given this album a 10; every song is good, the album has had — and will likely continue to have — a profound effect on me.    … Full Review »
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