This eighth album from The National is refreshingly different, somewhat modifying the well-oiled mechanics of this American band. First and foremost, this is achieved through the presence of several female singers who support the leader Matt Berninger on most of the tracks. The most memorable are the performances of Gail Ann Dorsey (David Bowie’s bassist) on Had Your Soul With You, as well as the particularly poignant performances of Lisa Hannigan and Mina Tindle on So Far So East and Oblivions respectively, the latter being especially moving. Why this sudden feminine presence for an exclusively male band? It’s likely because the album was conceived after filmmaker Mike Mills asked The National to put his short film I Am Easy to Find into song form – a film which happens to be centred around a woman. It’s this relationship to images that has somewhat upended the Brooklyn band’s pop formula. There are a few references to some classics of cinema, chiefly Roman Holiday by William Wyler (1953).
But apart from the new cinematic release, fans of The National will still find the legendary melancholy of the group in both the lyrics and the music. The presence of heart-wrenching strings on all the tracks (with the exception of the staccato violins on Where Is Her Head) as well as a recurring introspective piano (notably in the beautiful Light Years) will particularly be remembered. Bryan Devendorf’s singular rhythms plays on contrasts, occasionally making striking jerks (Rylan, The Pull of You) as well as adding a sensual flair (Hairpin Turns, I Am Easy to Find). – Nicolas Magenham
Tracklist: 1. You Had Your Soul with You (03:26) 2. Quiet Light (04:15) 3. Roman Holiday (03:34) 4. Oblivions (04:13) 5. The Pull of You (03:58) 6. Hey Rosey (04:14) 7. I Am Easy to Find (04:30) 8. Her Father in the Pool (01:02) 9. Where Is Her Head (04:41) 10. Not in Kansas (06:44) 11. So Far So Fast (06:36) 12. Dust Swirls in Strange Light (03:18) 13. Hairpin Turns (04:27) 14. Rylan (03:43) 15. Underwater (01:21) 16. Light Years (03:33)
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