1. Ricko

   10

   Abel, Lit Up, Secret Meeting, Mr November.... All magical. Every track on here is a National classic. Their breakthrough record and their best work in my humble opinion. One of the records of the 00's. The moods of the songs swerve between a New York night out and the hangover that follows. If you've not gotten into this band yet your missing out big time. Give this a few listens and you'll be hooked on them. I remember hearing Mr November played live in Dublin a while back and it was mind blowing.… Expand

   • Helpful? 2 of 2 users said Yes.
2. MusicMaven

   8

   The National are hard to pin down. The lead singer's deep baritone enhances the poetic lyrics. The band is tight throughout. The ballads are elegiac, and the rockers are punchy. I've heard The National described as indie, sadcore, and alt-country, but the only label that makes sense to me is Americana. They take the best of classic American music and update it with their own modern stamp. Their whole album is currently available for streaming (in reasonable fidelity) from the the Beggars website (Google search for 'the national alligator').… Expand

   • Helpful? 0 of 0 users said Yes.
3. MorganG

   7

   Great instrumentals and melody, but I can't give it anything more than a 7. Ultimately, no matter how good the melody is, the downfall of the band are the shallow and stupid lyrics. Ex:"I wish that I believed in fate, I wish I didn't stay up too late", "We'll fight like girls for our place at the table", "Why did you listen to that man? That man's a balloon", "I'm a perfect piece of ass like every Californian", "One day when she goes, she's gone", etc... The band should try using a thesaurus for their next album.… Expand

   • Helpful? 0 of 0 users said Yes.
4. daveh

   4

   granted the lead singer has an effecting voice, but this disc is so banal and lifeless - i can think of half a dozen bands doing this much better with much more interesting chord changes and guitar work. i think rolling stone and pop matters had it right. pop matters - a little harsh but not far off. the others all wanna jump on the 'isn't it great' bandwagon.… Expand

   • Helpful? 0 of 0 users said Yes.

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