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Album Review
by SashaS
13-4-2005
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| The National's 'Alligator' should get U! |
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The National: 'Alligator'
(Beggars Banquet)
The National: waving a banner for songs!
Is there anything left in the minds of artists but tributes, homages, recycling of ideas…? In the global iVillage we have more remakes, remodels and reshapes than ideas of any originality. From movies [‘Sahara’ lifts from everywhere, starting with ‘Romancing The Stone’ to ‘Indiana Jones’ to all action-comedies, or ‘Be Cool’ being more like ‘Be Dull’] to plays [majority of London theatres are hijacked by ‘musicals’ of cretin-level], to arts [how many f**king exhibitions of Turner-Whistler-Monet do we need, or Picasso, or Impressionists? Give us something fresh!] to music…
Music, alongside cinematography the most democratic form of entertainment, is in the deepest bog, rolling out slowly into oblivion… From time to time there is a small jerk, an electric shock that loosens custody of one’s reactions by bringing them online, alas - shamefully rarely. Modern pop songs are often like a ransacked oasis: welcoming until you discover there is nowt left.
The National attempt to redress the balance of dumbness by subscribing to the school of songwriting classicism in the proud tradition of Jacques Brel, Scott Walker, Nick Cave, American Music Club, Tindersticks and Cousteau. Used as a template but overhauled by an identity that is revealed leisurely by this quintet formed, all members hail from Ohio, in 1999.
The National’s third album ‘Alligator’ travels deeper into the territory mapped on their previous disc, ‘Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers’ [2003, the self-titled debut appeared in 2001], with songs that re-examine variety of matter via luscious strings and elegant arrangements by returnee Australian composer Padma Newsome from Clogs.
‘Alligator’ offers 13 songs of class where singling out any is unfair. It is an album that is completely anti-Download: no track should be extracted, its sequencing altered, its artiness disturbed but let to work, its meaning to flow, its internal grace to glow, its expression of inner search…
The Brooklyn-based band is fronted by Matt Berninger whose baritone is like an ice-cube on a feverish forehead; it reminds of Tindersticks’ Stuart Staples but the sounds made by two sets of brothers - Aaron (guitar/bass) and Bryce (guitar) Dessner, Scott (guitar/bass) and Bryan (drums) Devendorf - provide backing that is poppier scented, guitar guided sounds that appear Gothic-cum-miserablistic but it’s material that embraces wider sonic vistas. But, when you think you have The National five pegged down, they sneak in a couple of energetic tracks, ‘Lit Up’ and rather punky ‘Abel’.
The National display a contrary character and that’s why we love ‘em!
8/10
~
Tour dates:
18 April - Black Session, France Inter Radio
19 April - Barfly, London, UK
21 April - Printemps de Bourges Festival, France
22 April - Le Poste a Galene, Marseille, France
23 April - Les Marins D'Eau Douce, Toulouse, France
25 April - Le Cafe De La Danse, Paris, France
26 April - Le Confort Moderne, Poitiers, France
27 April - Rock School Barbey, Bordeaux, France
28 April - Rockstore, Monpellier, France
29 April - Festival de Davignac, Correze, France
30 April - L'Olympic, Nantes, France
01 May - El Castell Embruixat, Perpignan, France
02 May - El Castell Embruixat, Perpignan, France
03 May - El Castell Embruixat, Perpignan, France
04 May - Moby Dick, Madrid, Spain
05 May - Sidecar Factory Club, Barcelona, Spain
07 May - Jos Fritz Cafe, Freiburg, Germany
08 May - Atomic Cafe, Munich, Germany
09 May - Maschinenhaus, Berling, Germany
10 May - Weltbuhne @ Phonodrom, Hamburg, Germany
11 May - Paradiso, Amsterdam, Holland
12 May - Rotonde (Botanique Festival), Brussels, Belgium
14 May - Barfly, Glasgow, UK
15 May - Roadhouse, Manchester, UK
16 May - Cockpit, Leeds, UK
17 May - 100 Club, London, UK
SashaS
13-4-2005
The National album ‘Alligator’ is released 11 April 2005 by Beggars Banquet
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