Review: Tall Ships EP & Everything Touching LP

Apologies that the blogging has been rather barren recently, school work and band work towards our upcoming EP and a return to playing live after far too long (pictures are below) have kept us busy for the most part. But I thought I'd get back into the swing of things by giving a double album review of Tall Ships, a band I saw down at Latitude Festival (see my post of Saturday at Latitude) and have been really been getting into their material.

As I've said, I first saw Tall Ships at Latitude festival but only caught the end of their set, even so, what I saw made me wish I'd made the effort to get there much earlier. There was a lot of on-stage energy and obvious passion for their music, something which you would have thought may dull with time and playing the same songs again and again, but it was clear to the see enthusiasm was there throughout. This probably deserved them a much later slot than they were playing, but hey, even the best bands start at the bottom to get to the top. After the festival I started looking at their material and thought I should have a go at reviewing both their self-titled EP and their début full-length album 'Everything Touching'.

Also, for anyone local (Leeds etc) wanting to see them live, they're playing at Brudenell Social Club in Leeds next year on 3rd March for a dirt cheap price, not to be missed!: Buy Tickets. and their website here.

For fans of: Foals,The Vaccines, Mumford & Sons, Battles.

Tall Ships EP - (Buy here)

This is their début 4-track EP, something that nearly all bands produce and sometimes can tend to be better than most bands whole albums. It was clear from the start that this EP was a cut above the rest, it is what I would describe as 'clever rock', music that takes care with everything that it does but still sounds raw and fresh at the same time. I liked the use of other sampled media on the tracks such as 'Words Are Pegs On Which We Hang Ideas', something I want to experiment with in the future with Figurehead, which I feel adds an extra dimension to an already rich and complex sound. One thing that I very much admire in this band is the massive atmospheric sound with brilliant sweeping dynamics, almost approaching post rock, that they make with only 3 guys, my band struggles to even match it with 5 people in the band... They also show a lot of versatility in this EP with the inclusion of the brilliant phat synth arp on 'Books' which then drops back down effortlessly. The vocals and lyrics on this album, something that interests me a lot as a vocalist, are very good. The vocals are very solid throughout, whether singularly or in the choir-like harmonies, whist having a very good knack for decent and catchy vocal hooks and melodies. The lyrics, while nothing ground breaking, are still very, very good, whist still being provocative they have interesting themes, nautical as you would imagine, and having something that I feel my own lyrics really lack, substance. The drums also deserve a mention as I particularly enjoyed the 'running' drums in 'Vessels', having the kind of almost 'dancy' feel at times that reminds me so much of Foals. The EP is largely instrumental, letting the the music do the talking, and when the music is this good, you'll find it hard to complain.

Song Highlight: Tall Ships - Vessels. This song is by far the highlight of the EP, and probably is my favourite song by Tall Ships. It showcases everything that they can do, and they do it all so well, such as the provocative vocal harmonies, the brilliant build-up and an ending that lends itself to live sing-a-longs.

Rating: 7/10

Tall Ships - Everything Touching LP - (Buy here)

This is Tall Ships' début full length album and I have to say it starts in style with the belter of an opener 'T=0' Its clear that much has remained from the EP but they have also developed and refined what they had into something in my opinion, a bit more well-rounded. This album does get at times a bit heavier than the EP but dynamically the songs swap tempo, dynamics and intensity very fluidly. Vocals come slightly more to the fore in this album, but instrumentally it remains very strongly rooted in the complex melodies of the EP. Once again the massed vocals and tuneful singular vocals complement how melodic the music is very well. This album has a lot of diversity in it musically, from the grand sweeping tracks such as 'Best Ever', to the funkier tracks such as 'Oscar'. This is something that I'm looking to do in my band, particularly for our upcoming EP, which is creating a release which has the individuality and diversity of all the songs but is still a cohesive piece of art. There is a lot more minimalism in this release with toned-down and stripped-down songs such as 'Ode To Ancestors' and 'Send News' songs which sound almost like The Antlers, not a bad thing at all! 'Gallop' provides a brilliant lead single for the album, interesting, catchy and with a good rhythm behind it which is sure to go down well live. To finish off the album there is the 9 minute long epic 'Murmurations' once again showing that Tall Ships have a talent for longer songs which lend themselves perfectly to the end of albums or to end a set live, such as Vessels (see above)

Song Highlight: Tall Ships - T=0. One of the best album openers I've heard in a while, it grabs you right from the start and doesn't let go. It also shows the heavier side of Tall Ships' repertoire, seeing them advance from what they did with their EP to a more well balanced and diverse début album.

Rating: 8/10

Rewind Presents: The End of The World

Friday 19th December saw us return to live performances after the setbacks that seemed to have plagued us for the last 6 months. We gave a 40 minute set to a small but seemingly enthusiastic crowd and seemed to be well received, even the two new songs that were given their first live airing, 'Tainted' and 'Republic Of Heaven'. We also played a cover of 'There There' by Radiohead, always wary to take on a cover from Radiohead as some songs can be so damn difficult...

Radiohead - There There

All the other bands who played were brilliant especially Tweak and Explicit Symphonies - who performed admirably without a bassist or permanent vocalist. Tweak also have a festive new EP to get everyone in the mood for Christmas - http://tweaktheband.bandcamp.com/album/tweaks-christmas-present

Tom Hardie also provided excellent photographs of all the bands (see below), such professional photography at his age has also got him a good following - TH Photography (Facebook)

The last few months also saw us get to a few milestones in the band, some more worth shouting about than others:

• We reached the six month anniversary of our last gig (O Shame!)
• We managed to reach over 1000 accumulated plays on Soundcloud, for which we're very grateful!
• Possibly most importantly we got ourselves onto a mentoring scheme with MAS records which provides free structure, industry advice, practising and recording to young bands on the scheme. So in short, big things lie ahead, keep posted!

So here's to a good Christmas! And if you can spare the time a free download of Comfortable Prison:

Cheers, Mason.

My Latitude 2012 - Sunday

Sunday was probably my favourite day over the whole weekend, the music started late which meant I could have a lie in, it was less busy which meant I could get much nearer the front to see bands and there were a lot more bands I wanted to see, without as many clashes. I went to see so many in fact that I'm only going to include the best few and the ones I was gutted to miss. This was my last day: (links are in blue)


One of the first bands that I saw that day were Francois and the Atlas Mountains in the picturesque I Arena in the woods. The band were very, very French. Arty, daft and at times slightly pretentious but always brilliant. They had something very special, a unique sound and onstage presence that transcended the language barrier as it didn't matter if they sang in French or English, the music was always good. They were obviously loved very much by the crowd as although they had been given a shorter set due to administerial cock-ups, they were given the biggest cheer I'd heard from a small crowd and everyone stayed for another 10/15 minutes shouting at the staff to let them back on, but alas to no avail.

Francois and the Atlas Mountains - City Kiss (live from latitude)

I'd only heard a little of St Vincent before Latitude and I almost didn't go to see her due to my own idleness. Thankfully I got off my arse and went and was really blown away. It was nothing like I expected, all the songs were much rockier than anything I'd heard and Annie Clark was dressed all all in black, dishevelled hair and threw herself around the stage like a rag doll. This contrasted with her hauntingly beautiful and innocent vocals which cut right through the amazing fuzz tones on her guitar. At first listen, some of the songs seemed a bit jaunty as if they didn't fit, but after a few more listens this feeling goes away and is replaced by the simple appreciation of how very, very good her songs actually are.

St Vincent - Dilettante

I was very excited to see M83 at Latitude and I had a feeling it was going to be something a bit special, so I regrettably left Bat For Lashes a bit early so I could get a good spot. The set was drenched in atmosphere and drama as through the opening music, the signature alien of M83 came onstage, shooting lasers from its fingers (picture left taken by me). 'How fucking cool', I thought. The sound was even more epically scaled than that on the albums and the crowd loved it, especially when they played 'Midnight City'. A touch of genius, I felt, was when they got a live saxophonist to run on at the end of 'Midnight City' to play the solo. I'm a bit mystified as to why they didn't get Zola Jesus to sing on 'Intro' like she had on the album as she was also at the festival, but that's a small niggle in the scheme of things.

M83 - Reunion

Wild Beasts were the highlight of my festival, they were the band I was probably most exited to see and they were headlining my favourite stage, The Word Arena. There's not much to say apart from how amazing it was, obviously as they're one of my favourite bands I'm bound to be like that but it was clear many people shared my opinion. The crowd was massive and many people had wandered in after being disappointed by Paul Weller on the main stage and instantly got into the electric atmosphere in the tent. They played songs from all 3 of their albums and everyone around me knew the words, showing a surprising number of fans were there, such as one guy who screamed "I love you more than anything in the world" whenever it went quiet. (picture left taken by me - also the only really decent one I took over the whole festival)

Wild Beasts - Two Dancers I  

I didn't see as much of Bat For Lashes as I wanted to but that which I did see was top class. What I like about Bat For Lashes is the combination of visual art and music. Some people would say it's just 'pretencious-arty-wanker-bullshit' but I think it just gives another dimension to what music is, another art form. Its this kind of over the top showmanship and stage presence that just adds immeasurably to the live experience. They played material off both their albums and I even caught a bit of some new material, which seemed a bit more simplistic and piano-based, which I do like, but I must say I prefer the more guitar and synth laden songs. Bat For Lashes had been out of the public eye for a long time so it was a good return in my eyes.

Bat For Lashes - Sleep Alone

Although this isn't exactly music, I thought I'd include it anyway because John Cooper Clarke was really one of the highlights of my festival. I've never delved into poetry much but I went to see two poets at Latitude, Tim Key and JCC and both of them were funnier than most of the comedians in the comedy tent. JCC's humour was really my thing, dry, witty and utterly brilliant. He did some brilliant poems such as 'Things Are Gonna Get Worse' and 'Beasly Street' and I even managed to get a recording of the crowd favourite 'Evidently Chickentown'. JCC had been working with Plan B for the rapper's debut film 'Ill Manors' which was screened at Latitude. I took particular delight at, having this pointed out to me by my mate, the fifteen year old middle class kids rapping "You bloody rich kidz never listen", whilst sat with their 'mamma and pappa' sipping Pimms and snacking on artichoke hearts. (Well, maybe I made that last bit up...)



Evidently Chickentown (Live at Latitude Festival 2012) by Masonsoundcloud


Other Lives: Absolutely gutted to miss these, but hey, you win some... Other Lives - Tamer Animals

Perfume Genius: People were raving about this band after I missed them, luckily I went to see them a week ago in Leeds to make that right. Perfume Genius - Hood

Battles: I had only vaguely heard of them so I wasn't really tempted to venture in and see them, how foolish... Battles - Tonto

On the whole I think that weekend was the best edition of Latitude I'd been to, to date. Some of the moments watching some of the bands, I will take with me for a long time to come and look back on with much fondness. Apart from the usual overpriced food and shite British weather, there was nothing to complain about. Except for possibly being woken up in the early hours of the morning by the middle-class alarm clock of a man talking to his child "MONTY PUT THAT HAMMER DOWN!"

Mason.

My Latitude 2012 - Saturday

Saturday had to be very good indeed to surpass the day before, but the day's line up looked brilliant. The only problem was nearly every band I wanted to see was clashing with another, so as a result I only managed to see 6 bands that day, though I did nip into the comedy tent at some point. Here's what I made of the bands that I saw, and a bit about some of the bands I missed. (links to youtube videos are in blue)


Saturday

I only caught the latter part of Tall Ships' set but what I heard was very good. It was the first band I'd seen on the outdoor Lake Stage and so the feel of it was very different. For a comparatively unknown band they had a very good following in the audience and everyone seemed to enjoy the set. The sound that they made was surprisingly big and complex for only a 3 man band, with some members playing multiple instruments in their set and even within songs. Every part of their songs was strong, not mind-blowing but a darn sight better than a lot of other more established bands' sets that I'd seen.

Tall Ships - Vessels 

I'd seen Sharon Van Etten once before at Brudenell Social Club in Leeds and it was a really revelation and I bought the album from the merch stall straight after the show. Her newest album, 'Tramp', of which she played a lot of in her set, is in my opinion her best and what has got her a lot of recognition recently, having worked with members of The National on that record. Her and her band's performance was brilliant, really musically complex, very compelling and genuine and a lot rockier than on the album, which I felt was an improvement. I think her performance definitely deserved a much higher billing, after all she's had 3 albums and gave a much better performance that say Ben Howard who's only on his debut. But I guess that is the nature of the running order at festivals, the bands of the moment get much better slots.

Sharon Van Etten - Give Out 

My mate had been really looking forward to seeing Josh T. Pearson and beforehand, as I'm not that much of a regular listener of folk and country music, I wasn't exactly blown away. Seeing him live however I was left speechless. His songs were amazing and the combination of his guitar style and his singing helped make a set of effortless, heartfelt class in the Word Arena tent. It was certainly a set of quality over quantity as in his set of about 40 minutes he did only 4 or 5 songs, but each one was better than most singer/songwriters' sets that I'd seen live.

Josh T. Pearson - Woman When I've Raised Hell 

SBTRKT was one of the highlights of my festival. There was a real buzz in the Word Arena when I got there and for good reason. He came on to cheers wearing his customary tribal mask and delivered a great set to a great crowd that was mercifully bereft of any dickheads for a change... The sound was very impressive, particularly the bass which really went right through you and when your ears are used to headphone or stereo level bass, it was a welcome change! I was particularly impressed when I read that he only uses live instruments and live triggers for his songs, which I liked as if it's all programmed there really is no soul or even point to the music live if all you do is stand there and press 'play'. He also worked on a track with another band I like, 'Little Dragon'.

SBTRKT - Wildfire (ft. Little Dragon)

I was only sat near the back of the arena for Laura Marling, but I doubt there would have been a seething crowd of mosh pits if I'd have ventured forward. Try as I might, I've never been able to like her music. I think what my problem is with her is that there are so many other folk artists that do exactly what she does but so much better in my opinion, but hey if she's your thing then by all means ignore me. She does also seem to be quite odd, even among musicians, which may have something to do with the exposure she had at such a young age. Also I find some of her earlier songs a bit in genuine, which is something that my own lyrics have the issue of, which is: What does a 16/17 year old know of things like the darker and more adult sides of life? Admittedly some people have very hard periods of life at that age but I know I haven't and from what she seems to say in interviews neither as she. But maybe I'm being unfair.

Laura Marling - New Romantic 

Elbow had never been a favourite band of mine, mainly due to the fact that every time I heard them, I'd be reminded of 'One Day Like This' being played over an advert raising awareness for starving Ethiopian children, hence why I never play Elbow when I'm eating out of a sense of white European middle class guilt. But anyway, when I saw them live, I was a man converted! It was sweeping, grand, classy music, showing them to be more than worthy of the headline slot. The child within me particularly loved the firework displays in the set, fireworks which were missing from Bon Iver's set the night before. Guy Garvey held the crowd in the palm of his hand and was everything the frontman of a band should be.

Elbow - Lippy Kids 

Bands I wanted to see 

Deap Vally: Two hot women playing rock music, what's not to like? Deap Vally - Gonna Make My Own Money

Of Monsters And Men: I heard a couple of songs of theirs a few years ago and was really happy to see them on the line up, sadly there was a clash and I didn't make it... Of Monsters Ans Men - From Finner

Django Django: Saw them on Jools Holland, wasn't that impressed but everyone who I asked loved them at Latitude, seems I missed out... Django Django - Default 

Zola Jesus: Heard of her through seeing her name on a track by M83 (playing Sunday) Zola Jesus - Night 

The Horrors: They had won a lot of critical acclaim recently and I was really up for seeing if it they were all they were cracked up to be, sadly when clashing with Elbow I probably made the right choice. The Horrors - Sea Within A Sea

Tomorrow was the last day of music so I was ready to make the most of it.

Mason.

My Latitude 2012 - Friday

Despite Latitude Festival being many weeks gone now, I thought I'd recap my Latitude experience of the bands that I saw (and some I wanted to see but didn't quite manage to). The post would be too long if I listed all 3 days worth so I'm going to write up each day individually. Here goes... (links to youtube videos are in blue)

Friday 

This was my 3rd Latitude festival and I think probably the first year I was mature enough to fully appreciate it. I got there on the Thursday morning without trouble, the tent was pitched, the cider was ready and I had my list of bands I wanted to see. These are the bands I saw on the 1st day:

The first band of the festival that I saw was a Scandinavian punk-rock band called 'Ice Age'. There had been a lot of hype about the band and their 'onstage energy', and someone even telling me they had been compared to Joy Division, an interesting prospect. As it turns out I had a right to be sceptical, as for me, and for a lot of people there it didn't live up to the hype. There was some energy onstage but no more than you'd expect from a punk band. The music itself was heavier than I would listen to out of choice but I stuck around for the full set non the less. But, for me it just sounded like noise, loud, critically acclaimed noise. However one thing in the program about them which amused me, was the anecdote that their debut album was 24 minutes long in 12 tracks.

Ice Age - Total Drench

'The Silver Seas' were a band that I just happened to stumble across on my wanderings around the main arena. The atmosphere inside the tent of the Word arena was very welcoming and the band themselves gave a nice set of listenable songs that the whole tent seemed to enjoy, and as it was not very full, there was plenty of space to get in. The band for me were the definition of easy listening but at the side of many of the other bands I saw, not gripping or compelling enough to inspire me to go home and download/buy an album.

The Silver Seas - Dream Of Love

This is one of my dad's favourite bands and out of a sense of duty I went along to watch the set with him. I've never had much time for Destroyer even with numerous tries and I've always found listening to it a challenge, one that I haven't yet thrown myself into, so I was a bit approaches going into it. The songs didn't grab me, no fault of the band, but it just wasn't my thing. However I could clearly see that they were a SERIOUSLY good band and had a very good following of dedicated fans. Sadly I left early to go and see another band but everyone else seemed to enjoy it. I gained a lot of respect for the band later after learning that they were in the crowd to see both Kurt Vile and Dexys, nice to see even musicians of their level still goes to watch bands with us 'mere mortals'.

Destroyer - Leave Me Alone (New Order cover)

Before Latitude I had only given The Antlers a brief listen, in hindsight I should have payed so much more attention. Their set at latitude was one of the best live experiences I've ever had, the sound was massive, expansive reverbed guitars, floating and captivating vocals, deep bass tones and an overall effect that left me speechless. After the festival I went home and bought 2 albums immediately and found that their live sound was so different to that on the albums, in my opinion better live but still very, very good on the albums. This was one of the highlights of my weekend and provided a lot of musical inspiration for the band.

The Antlers - Putting The Dog To Sleep

I'd been told about Punch Brothers by a mate before I came down to Latitude and they seemed an interesting one to watch, by no means your conventional folk band or even your 'indie trash folk' such as Noah and the Whale, they did some far more avant-garde stuff such as a brilliant and inspired acoustic version of Kid A by Radiohead. I was amazed by the electronic and incredibly unconventional and un-acoustic sounds they got out of their instruments. They also did some very good feel-good folk songs, akin to 'Bellowhead' at times.

Punch Brothers - Kid A (Radiohead cover)

I watched Glen Hansard with my tea that day, before I went of in search of bands I'd made plans to watch, and only really chose to stay and watch because of  the convenient chairs nearby. I was initially a bit hesitant as at first he seemed like a typical dreamy-eyed, dreamy-voiced Irishman who was a bit like Ed Sheeran. Thankfully he had much more to him than that and gave a very compelling performance, single-handedly knackering his guitar and his hand in his cover of 'Astral Weeks' by Van Morrison. I particularly enjoyed his more rocky, band-orientated songs, such as those he played when he was part a big Irish folk-rock band 'The Frames' and another band 'The Swell Season'

The Swell Season - High Horses

When I initially heard Metronomy I thought they were a bit dull, more like better than average elevator/lift music than a good indie band. However after a bit of persistence I started to enjoy parts of their album 'The English Riviera". They had were only behind Bon Iver on the bill for the main stage so I had high hopes. I think what happened next was the most disappointing performance I'd ever seen. Firstly they started off with a slightly bad-taste "Its nice to play to a crowd who can understand you", but for me worst of all was that they turned up pissed, not just pissed but absolutely mashed and gave an awful performance. And this pissed me off, as someone in a band I'd like to think I'd give my audience the common decency to give a half decent show and not turn up off my tits, yes I know it's a very 'rock 'n roll' thing to do, but let's face it, they're not a rock band, they're a little indie band from Torquay that sound like their music should be on 'The Sims'.

Metronomy - The Look

Bon Iver: Probably THE reason I was exited to come to Latitude this year, and as it was their only UK festival date this year, it was likely to be very very special. I'd always thought they seemed an odd headliner for the main stage, possibly more suited to the Word arena tent, but any doubts I had went immediately. The crowd were brilliant, nearly everyone knew all the words and sang along, even glares to stop singing and embarrassing myself and him didn't stop me. The sound was beautiful, the songs were so expansive and epic it was hard not to be moved. Even songs from his more lo-fi debut album had been given a reworking into (in my opinion) even better songs. That had a great contrast to when Justin came to the front with his guitar and sang 'Skinny Love' and 'Flume' to an ecstatic crowd. I think this will be one of the gig experiences that I'll always look back on with a lot of fond memories as by the rate their ascension is going at the moment, they'll be too big for me to see again.

Bon Iver - Blindsided

Bands that I missed

White Lies: I was so annoyed to find out probably my two favourite the bands of the festival were on the same billing, but in the end I wasn't going to turn down the chance to see Bon Iver.
White Lies - Holy Ghost

Alt-J: Luca showed me some Alt-J a couple of days ago and I remember seeing them on the program for Latitude. Sadly I was somewhere else, I can't remember where but I'm sure it was something important....
Alt-J - Tessellate

So that was my Friday, a brilliant start to the weekend and it only got better...

Mason.

The National - An appreciation

Welcome to our new blog, 'Villainous Folk'. Just to kick things off here's an appreciation of 'The National' that I did a while back:

The National - An appreciation

They’ve only recently become big in the UK but in the US they are massive, even backing Barack Obama on his presidential campaigns. I only really discovered them this year when I saw them live on the main stage at Latitude festival over the summer. 5 albums, each a different beast entirely, from folky beginnings of their debut, to the grand sweeping magnificence of their latest, each is something to be enjoyed.

It took me a while to get their sobered up indie rock but I really just haven’t stopped listening to them since then and I think they must be my favourite band at the moment. What really struck me with their songs is how they get so much atmosphere and purpose with the songs without the use of any real catchy riffs or instrumental brilliance, not to say that the musicianship is bad, in fact it is so delicate and intricate it often goes unnoticed.

But for me the thing i most love about them is the vocals and the lyrics. The vocals and especially the vocal melody give the structure and drive behind many of the songs and the voice is just amazing, the deep baritone Matt Berninger gives the songs their slightly darker side that sometimes comes right out with full-on rage fuelled verses. The lyrics are something I really admire about the band, they constantly churn out deep, sophisticated lyrics album after album and they never become cliched or tiresome.

However the album of theirs I want to share is their latest album, High Violet. This for me showcases The National as a band and gives the best example of what they do as well as every song on the album being brilliant in its own right. The vocal melodies in this album are brilliant and makes up for any missing riffs guitar-band lovers might want. Bloodbuzz Ohio gives the album a very strong single and leading song and the rest of the album builds around it and for really only the first time in my life I’ve found an album without one song being out of place.

These are a few songs of the National that I think showcase the band and High Violet:

• The National - Brainy. This song for me shows why I love The National so much, the drums, the voice, the guitars, the intricate musical accompaniments swirling in the background, perfection.

• The National - About Today. This song I only discovered recently on The National's 'Cherry Tree EP' and I'm so glad I did. Its simplicity and short brutal lyrics really struck a chord with me at the time, something this band seems to do all too often!

• The National - Available. One of the only national songs with a strong riff in it, the angry vocals at the end feel really genuine and cutting.

• The National - Cardinal Song. The lyrics are beautiful and so profound and make anything I write seem like cliched garbage. “Never tell the one you love that you do, save it for the deathbed when you know you kept her wanting you.”

• The National - Fake Empire. A beautifully constructed song and so grand and classy.

• The National - Mr November A rock song, the chorus beautiful, angry and heartfelt. "I won't fuck us over! I'm Mr November! I'm Mr November! I won't fuck us over!"

Songs from 'High Violet':

 

• The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio. For me is a culmination of everything the National have achieved and stand for.

• The National - Afraid of Everyone. This is probably my favourite song by The National, the lyrics are beautifully constructed, the rip of the guitar through the song is really felt and emotion just pours out of this song in bucketloads.

• The National and Bon Iver - Vandelyle Crybaby Geeks. The beautiful closing track of the album, full of sweeping brass, heartfelt lyrics and here joined onstage by the haunting voice of Justin Vernon from Bon Iver.

• Mumford and Sons - England. One of my other favourite bands Mumford and Sons have done a cover of a brilliant song off the album, England. Here’s the original as well. The National - England.

Anyway that’s why I love the National, I urge you to give them a listen and if you ever get the chance go and see them live as it was what really got me into music because of the way they made me feel and I wanted to do the same for other people.

By Mason Boycott-Owen