Sleep Well Beast
by The National
  • Record Label: 4AD
  • Release Date: Sep 8, 2017
User Score
8.5

Universal acclaim- based on 175 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 154 out of 175
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 175
  3. Negative: 10 out of 175
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  1. MrNiceGuyMan
    Oct 6, 2022
    9
    The National has clearly started to look for a new sound with their seventh studio album "Sleep Well Beast". While each song is expertedly mastered to the end, album leaves a raw feeling. They have taken more electronic sound which potential is really shown in songs like "Nobody will be there" or "the System sleeps in total darkness". It took me four years to warm fully to this album, butThe National has clearly started to look for a new sound with their seventh studio album "Sleep Well Beast". While each song is expertedly mastered to the end, album leaves a raw feeling. They have taken more electronic sound which potential is really shown in songs like "Nobody will be there" or "the System sleeps in total darkness". It took me four years to warm fully to this album, but finally I have found it's true beauty that lies within rambling lyrics of Matt Berninger. Also I find that by this album Berninger found his peak as a singer. Using his vocal range when needed, but knowing when to limit it

    Perhaps the darkest album of the National doesn't let the listener down lyrically. The lyrics are funny and clever yet dark as The National lyrics should be. The vocalist Matt Berning in the other hand has taken a new road. "Turtle Neck" is one of the more "rock'n'roll" songs from the band and it's the part where the album really shines. But then the song album was named after, "sleep well beast", leaves an unsure feeling. It clearly is a step for the new sound but leaves an unfinished feeling like they have tried to construct a puzzle with few pieces from different a puzzle. There are pieces that connect like "Day I Die" and "Guilty party" but then there are songs that feels like they are out of place "Walk it Back".

    The National has stepped in new direction after almost 10 years of perfecting from Boxer to Trouble will find me. Step to the unknown is always a step worth taking and Sleep Well Beast leaves the listener wanting for more for sure. With this finished and coherent album, Sleep Well Beast is one of the peaks of national and the yar 2019 for sure.    … Expand
  2. MacsMusic
    Aug 6, 2018
    9
    SWB sounds utterly great. It's deep, dark, powerful, and even beautiful. The music is essentially flawless; it never misses a beat or really fails anywhere. The lyrics do have a bit of sameness, but they are almost always strong, sad, and even powerful. The incredible lyrics on "Day I Die" take me to new heights, and the dark lyrics on "Walk it Back" horrify and sober me. The sheerSWB sounds utterly great. It's deep, dark, powerful, and even beautiful. The music is essentially flawless; it never misses a beat or really fails anywhere. The lyrics do have a bit of sameness, but they are almost always strong, sad, and even powerful. The incredible lyrics on "Day I Die" take me to new heights, and the dark lyrics on "Walk it Back" horrify and sober me. The sheer conviction heard in the vocals throughout the album make it sound amazing. "Turtleneck" is a perfect example of the lead singer's passion. Fantastic music, passionate vocals, and dark, strong lyrics make Sleep Well Beast an album for the ages. It's incredible.… Expand
  3. Ricko
    Apr 5, 2018
    9
    After an incredible run of form where they released 4 classic albums in 8 years while touring almost continuously, The National took something resembling a break between albums number 6 and this most recent offering "Sleep Well Beast". While band members were kept busy with side projects, the band may have felt they needed some space in order to ensure album 7 was the best it could be.After an incredible run of form where they released 4 classic albums in 8 years while touring almost continuously, The National took something resembling a break between albums number 6 and this most recent offering "Sleep Well Beast". While band members were kept busy with side projects, the band may have felt they needed some space in order to ensure album 7 was the best it could be. While their peers from the mid 00's have struggled to maintain the quality (Arcade Fire) and frequency (LCD Soundsystem) of their output, incredibly, The National have pulled off another masterstroke here. "Sleep Well Beast" is a generally mellow affair even by The National's standards. I believe this is the best album the band could have made for their fans. Their unique style is here and brings comfort in its familiarity but at the same time its the band testing boundaries if not necessarily breaking through them. Opener "Nobody Else Will Be There" is a perfect operation of restraint before the epic, admittedly National by numbers "Day I Die". Lead single "The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness" is arguably the highlight of the record but it has rivals for that accolade in "Guilty Party" and "Dark Side of the Gym". More focused and cohesive than "Trouble Will Find Me", itself a great record, this latest offering has cemented The National as the great indie rock band to come out of the 21st century.… Expand
  4. jrod_
    Dec 12, 2017
    10
    First of all, the National is a weakness I have, I feel overwhelming connected with every record they publish. Said this, I think this is their best album so far.

    Matt Berninger's voice is the perfect escort for those brilliant lyrics we can hear throughout the album. "I've been talking about you to myself because there is nobody else and I want what I want, I want everything". "Don't    First of all, the National is a weakness I have, I feel overwhelming connected with every record they publish. Said this, I think this is their best album so far.

    Matt Berninger's voice is the perfect escort for those brilliant lyrics we can hear throughout the album. "I've been talking about you to myself because there is nobody else and I want what I want, I want everything". "Don't go dark on me, it's all alright, if I'm going yo get back to you someday, I'll need your light". Moments like these that can easily touch your soul.

    Production does not get to the level of 'High Violet' or even 'Trouble Will Find Me', but the Dessner brothers and Pete Katis give this record a rawer and less grandiloquent sound. This way, the listener hears a purest music, closer of what could be felt in a The National concert. They introduce new synthetic sounds wich mix nicely with the band character.

    Rhythm is lead by the Devendorf brothers: drums and bass. Bryce is easily one the best drummers on Earth, very creative drumming. You could listen to the album only putting attention on the drums and it would be a very hypnotic, pleasant experience.

    I am not going to say it is the best album of the year because this band means something special to me, but it is my personal favourite album of this musically great 2017.
    10/10.    … Expand
  5. ryano1978
    Oct 28, 2017
    7
    It's good but there's just too much filler for me. There's 4-5 great songs and the rest are ok - good.
    I'm a massive fan but this one just didn't reach the heights of the last album.
  6. LancerReviews
    Oct 5, 2017
    8
    As a new political era started in America, artists has had their two cents on the topic. But nobody has done it so well like The National’s Sleep Well Beast—a right mixture of politics, self-confession, and romance told in a confusing, maddening way that is comforting in its discomfort. For a political record you’d assume would be “trying”, Sleep Well Beast is a wise record and theAs a new political era started in America, artists has had their two cents on the topic. But nobody has done it so well like The National’s Sleep Well Beast—a right mixture of politics, self-confession, and romance told in a confusing, maddening way that is comforting in its discomfort. For a political record you’d assume would be “trying”, Sleep Well Beast is a wise record and the greatest of its kind.… Expand
  7. LionInFLL
    Sep 28, 2017
    8
    Any album by The National needs time to sink in, so I've waited a while before posting my thoughts here. I've read a lot of reviews here by folks giving the album straight-up "10s," and, while it is a solid album, I don't feel that it reaches the band's previous heights. There are some really beautiful, memorable moments on this record, however, if it weren't for Bryan Devendorf'sAny album by The National needs time to sink in, so I've waited a while before posting my thoughts here. I've read a lot of reviews here by folks giving the album straight-up "10s," and, while it is a solid album, I don't feel that it reaches the band's previous heights. There are some really beautiful, memorable moments on this record, however, if it weren't for Bryan Devendorf's skillful drumming/programming and the overall electronica experimentation, the album would slip into tedious and torpid territory; there are only so many times that Matt can sing about 'not belonging here nor there' and' not being able to go home' before it all sounds trite. The album is still greater than the sum of its parts though and I know there are several tracks here that I will be enjoying for years to come.… Expand
  8. Music_Observer
    Sep 25, 2017
    7
    Being dark in nearly every sense, this album succeeds in achieving a unified unique atmosphere with moody expressiveness and creative sound organization along with grounded and recognizable harmony, but leaving much to be desired from the lack of memorability, motivic development, and tension or spirit in the solo vocals. My Score: 130/180 (Solid) = 7.2/10
  9. MrHonesty
    Sep 14, 2017
    10
    On this album the band experiments with electronic music, which created a unique sound.
    The sad, but sweet and elegant songs on this diverse album made it feels more alive than their last album 'Trouble Will Find Me'.
    The only song that didn't really speak to me is 'Turtleneck'. In my opinion the song doesn't really fit in the tracklist.
  10. notverygood
    Sep 13, 2017
    8
    'Sleep Well Beast' is a very good album. Definitely one of the best that I've heard this year. I think that The National are one of those bands who are incapable of making an album that isn't a 7/8 out of 10. Nothing they make is ever groundbreaking (or even that different from anything they've already put out) but that's OK. This album is exactly what you would expect from The National: a'Sleep Well Beast' is a very good album. Definitely one of the best that I've heard this year. I think that The National are one of those bands who are incapable of making an album that isn't a 7/8 out of 10. Nothing they make is ever groundbreaking (or even that different from anything they've already put out) but that's OK. This album is exactly what you would expect from The National: a very good, well fleshed out album, full of really good songs. I'd argue that nothing they've ever done has been as good as 'Boxer' which is the closest they've got to perfecting their very unique sound, but 'Sleep Well Beast' is a very good album and more than worth listening to.… Expand
  11. LsSiel
    Sep 11, 2017
    10
    Their best since Boxer. And I have a lot of love for "High Violet". I love how they came out of their comfort zone, and how did it work. The lyrics, as usual, are great, and the production is just beautiful and brilliant. Even when we don't have a huge amount of "Strong/loud" songs, this album feels so much better than the last one.
  12. SergioAllIndie
    Sep 11, 2017
    9
    Following an outstanding array of four previous excellent records, The National´s Sleep Well Beast changes the plot course in order to let them extend and play around with their landmark sound. Not as groundbreaking, risky or defiant, but the most compelling thing is to realize that THIS EXACT LEVEL of extension is more than enough to still bring us another bunch of unsettling emotionalFollowing an outstanding array of four previous excellent records, The National´s Sleep Well Beast changes the plot course in order to let them extend and play around with their landmark sound. Not as groundbreaking, risky or defiant, but the most compelling thing is to realize that THIS EXACT LEVEL of extension is more than enough to still bring us another bunch of unsettling emotional depth and tear-jerk lullabies, without becoming dull and even less, shallow. Don´t get fooled by the highly esthete electronic flirts on this, Sleep Well Beast is anything but shallow.… Expand
  13. Edjackson
    Sep 9, 2017
    10
    There's a moment in the life span of every great band in which they have to decide to get bored and play safe, be satisfied with their achievements and stop, or get uncomfortable and keep progressing. Sleep Well Beast is a strong statement revealing that The National is still up to excel itself and develop a body of work so wide like they never did it before. The album full of electronicThere's a moment in the life span of every great band in which they have to decide to get bored and play safe, be satisfied with their achievements and stop, or get uncomfortable and keep progressing. Sleep Well Beast is a strong statement revealing that The National is still up to excel itself and develop a body of work so wide like they never did it before. The album full of electronic sounds, two great guitar solos, amazing lyricism and skillful dynamics surprised me reminding me a bit of "Ok Computer" meant to me in 1997. Melancholy, feelings of longing, uncertainties of the known love and professional life, or the biased purposes of parties make evident here and much more. Definitely 10/10 if that's possible to quantify.… Collapse
  14. NeutralMilkH
    Sep 8, 2017
    10
    This is a track-by-track album review, my final score is based on the average of the scores of all of the songs. Remember, this is just my lame opinion, lol.
    Nobody Else Will Be There: A song that crackles and fizzles as the piano swoons subtly over the course of the song. Berninger sounds truly desperate as he attempts to reach new lows in his pitching. As the awkward synths enter the    This is a track-by-track album review, my final score is based on the average of the scores of all of the songs. Remember, this is just my lame opinion, lol.
    Nobody Else Will Be There: A song that crackles and fizzles as the piano swoons subtly over the course of the song. Berninger sounds truly desperate as he attempts to reach new lows in his pitching. As the awkward synths enter the song, the song has already established its rhythm. (10/10)
    Day I Die: In contrast to the introductory song of the album, Day I Die starts off with a pulse of energy as the drums are allowed to bang out alongside the electrifying guitar chords. Berninger puts his heart into it despite it being broken making this song one of the best anthems of the whole entire album. (10/10)
    Walk it Back: A simple song with synths and a vocal delivery resembling a speaking manner rather than that of singing notes. The song slowly builds up but remains unpredictably stable throughout. (10/10)
    The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness: It's powerful **** I don't think I really have to talk about this one. (10/10)
    Born to Beg: Set to an extremely settled drum beat, this song is yet another sweet addition to the catalog of this album and lets the twinking sounds make statements without overstaying their welcome and ending the track in a way that I can only describe as "beautiful" because I know nothing about synonyms. (10/10)
    Turtleneck:It appears to be that this album is going back and forth between quiet tracks and loud tracks, however, this track is by far the loudest and most out of control, yet extremely well-blended and mixed without coming across as stupidly over-the-top or too clean as it is the shortest track. (10/10)
    Empire Line: In an environment of extremely intricate sounds, Berninger sings slowly to the quick and upbeat synths and small beats of the song, yet you can't help but wait and listen to what he has to say. This song breaks the pattern of the odd-numbered songs being quiet as it finds itself in between being loud and quiet which is a fitting way to start the second album. WHINY SYNTHS! (10/10)
    I'll Still Destroy: One of their most insanely electronic songs on the album, it strolls along at an extremely frenetic pace, almost reminds me of Radiohead's "Kid A." It quickly gets toned down as Berninger brings humanity into the song over time as the song beautifully improvises and even changes into a rock song with a "xylophone?" Also, the long, voiceless ending is worth listening to (10/10)
    Guilty Party: Electronic drums get partially offset a piano that sounds almost "church-ish" that strolls through the song and helps build momentum for the odd strings and vocals to come until the drums ultimately become more powerful and human, ever so slightly (so much subtle **** happens in this song, that it's going to require re-listening sessions.) (10/10)
    Carin at the Liquor Store: For a nice change of pace, the piano starts out alone with Berninger's stable voice and romantic lyrics. The song intensifies whilst retaining a sense of vulnerability. (10/10)
    **Could this be a perfect album?**
    Dark Side of the Gym: An extremely modern electronic song that reminds me of something by Lorde or Klangstof... more of the latter... the beat actually does reflect the "innocence" of a gym whilst the strings remind me of when Wii Sports is rewarding... I'm missing the point completely seeing as how this song is about the first time "Matt" met "Whatever the name of his wife is." It nicely crescendos into an emotionally packed ending covered in classical strings that become genuinely inhumane... didn't know it was possible, lol. (10/10)
    Sleep Well Beast: As the final track of the album, it peacefully puts the album to sleep (well, that's a really ****ty pun.) Of course the song intensifies ever so slightly, almost as if to reflect the idea that even beasts have nightmares... I connect titles and instrumentals with each other too much... but still... the **** ambiance of this song is too hard to resist.

    Final Score: 120/120 or 10/10
    **PERFECT ALBUM**
    In conclusion, Berninger comes off with some of his most sincere and subtly powerful vocals whilst the role of the guitars remain restrained until they are needed to make a song anthemic and give it the meaningful edge it needs. As for the synths, they maintain a presence throughout the record and provide a cutting backdrop. The pianos and strings are always beautiful and end most of the songs in grand fashion. This is probably one of the National's best albums... I wouldn't know because I've only listened to Boxer... But seriously, this record manages to be flawless yet reflect a theme of vulnerable love at the same time, that's pretty impressive... so go listen to this album, I think you will enjoy at least one of these songs considering the fact that I managed to enjoy every aspect of all of them, and if you hate it, that's okay, but if you write a review, it better make sense.    … Expand
  15. TheNewEleven
    Sep 8, 2017
    10
    This very well may be the most textured and intricate National album to date. For the band to give Boxer a run for its money as their magnum opus is extremely impressive. Time will tell, of course, but this might just be their best record to date.
  16. HumanPate86
    Sep 8, 2017
    10
    First, let me state that I don't think it's a 10, but a 9.5.
    I'm gonna keep it short: It's their best since Boxer. It's everything we've come to expect from The National, yet a bit darker and grittier. I'm glad they started experimenting and trying new things a bit more, yet were able to write those "classic" National songs.
    I can't say I like Walk it back (although those mini-bridges    First, let me state that I don't think it's a 10, but a 9.5.
    I'm gonna keep it short: It's their best since Boxer. It's everything we've come to expect from The National, yet a bit darker and grittier. I'm glad they started experimenting and trying new things a bit more, yet were able to write those "classic" National songs.
    I can't say I like Walk it back (although those mini-bridges between the verses are sang really well) or Empire Line but those are still pretty much - good songs.
    The rest of "the bunch" is pretty amazing with Nobody else will be there, The system only dreams in total darkness, I'll still destroy you and Dark side of the gym being the best for me.
    It's a really, really good album and surely a contender for AOTY. Can't wait to hear what these guys offer next.    … Expand
  17. kevin3stacks
    Sep 8, 2017
    9
    The National have been so consistently brilliant all the way through their nearly 20 year career. it's no surprise that Sleep Well Beast immediately sounds like some of their best work. It is very much a National album but they also experiment with rich results! Radiohead vibes can be heard oozing all over this album. Nice electronic sounds come in to play along with the band'sThe National have been so consistently brilliant all the way through their nearly 20 year career. it's no surprise that Sleep Well Beast immediately sounds like some of their best work. It is very much a National album but they also experiment with rich results! Radiohead vibes can be heard oozing all over this album. Nice electronic sounds come in to play along with the band's instruments. Beninger is on form. lyrics are great. There's everything to love about this.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

35
#35 Best Album of 2017
68
#68 Most Discussed Album of 2017
25
#25 Most Shared Album of 2017

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
85

Universal acclaim - based on 35 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 35
  3. Negative: 0 out of 35
  1. Clash Music
    Sep 21, 2017
    80
    Sleep Well Beast is an album that rewards repeat listens and unfurls its beauty slowly over time: The National have yet again made an album that’s as brilliant as it is ambitious.
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  2. Punknews.org (Staff)
    Sep 13, 2017
    80
    Sleep Well Beast is a heartfelt confession plucked straight from a middle-aged couple's diary on how good and bad things get, how we feel to leave at these tragic moments, how death touches us from that moment we learn to love, but most of all, it teaches us that love is worth fighting for and work has to be put in. No matter what.
    Read full review
  3. The Observer (UK)
    Sep 11, 2017
    80
    Nothing on Sleep Well Beast is headline-new. But you are either in singer Matt Berninger’s corner, clinging on as he drills down into his anxieties, or you are wondering why even validated white guys in first-world countries can still eat themselves up inside so insatiably.
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