Album Review: The National - Trouble Will Find Me

Here it is, Trouble Will Find Me. My most anticipated and indeed one of the most anticipated albums of the year. The album was never actually planned as such, as the band were planning to have a four year break after the breakthrough commercial success of High Violet which placed The National near the top of the old guard of indie rock - this record however truly establishes them as at the top of their game, that very few bands can compete with. The relaxed composition of this album doesn't exactly break the mold of The National's style but refines it, showing a band slightly less ill at ease with their success. Having said that, the old insecurities still remain as Matt sings of the skeletons beneath his skin and the the trials of life.


For fans of: The Antlers / Sharon Van Etten / Interpol / St Vincent / Arcade Fire

This album in tradition with other National albums is a grower, you plug away at it and discover new aspects, melodies of the songs that resonate musically and emotionally the more you listen and before long are buried in the back of your head; there are no cheap singles or chart monsters that are separated by filler, this is start to finish the prime example of a great album.

The album starts with a good indication of what is to follow; I Should Live In Salt, contains Matt's  vocals straying higher than he has before and feels relaxed, sonically rich and lyrically more personal. On the subject of the album's lyrics, although they are not the best Matt has written, such as those on High Violet and Alligator and Boxer, they are certainly more personal and indeed more relatable - something the band is often targeted on, by writing about the day to day trials of middle aged, middle class men; however the lyrics can resonate with anyone and so often you can find a line that just captures a certain moment in your life then your own words never could. Here Matt's writing is at its peak in songs such as Pink Rabbits, Don't Swallow The Cap and This is The Last Time.

Similarly the vocal melodies are not as insatiably catchy as in High Violet but have a much greater variety such as coupling Matt's vocals with those of Annie Clark and Sharon Van Etten and the mass vocals of Sea Of Love which capture and energy not felt since tracks such as Abel or Mr November on Alligator. The versatility of Matt's own vocals is also tested more than in previous albums, showing its not just 'more of the same'; with his deepest rich baritone of Demons to the floating higher vocals of Pink Rabbits.

This album is all about subtlety, the overall timbre and feel of the record is a rich, dense and lush sound which seamlessly integrates electronic elements such as synths and drum machines with the natural elements of acoustic accounts and the intricate drumming of Bryan Devendorf. These lush soundscapes are best seen on the comparatively stripped down tracks of Slipped and the album's outro Hard To Find. The subtlety continues in the small changes to tracks that just lift them into something more interesting and compelling; for example the 7/4 time signature of Demons, the up tempo shift in Humiliation and also the mini outro of This Is Not The Last Time.

Many of these songs also draw from much of The National's previous work. For example; Fireproof could easily be on Boxer, This Is The Last Time has echoes of Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers, Sea of Love has a big Alligator vibe and energy to it, and Pink Rabbits could sit among the best of High Violet. This gives the album not quite a compilation feel but one that makes this album possibly the most self-assured and coherent example of 'what are The National.'

Its clear this album is very good, not only does it have the trademark gravitas and class that The National have brought to their last three albums, its is still accessible to all National fans and indeed anyone who has just discovered them. This is not boring, middle aged man music but a down to earth, rivetting, intimate and at moments even sublimely profound collection of songs that are some of the best anyone could hope to hear.

What is perhaps most startling is that the National seem to be a band that can do no wrong, after the slightly lackluster debut, every album since has been very good, the last four albums of Alligator, Boxer, High Violet and Trouble Will Find Me have been exceptional, the antithesis of one hit-wonder indie bands and pop acts at the mercy of the music press. This album is a refinement of everything The National have done so far, drawing upon aspects of all of their best works to create an album which although admittedly is not their best album, it does not need to be anything groundbreaking and showcases exactly why the band is one of the best indie-rock bands of the 21st Century and how there is no one close to matching the consistently brilliant calibre of music that they do.

9/10

Key tracks: Don't Swallow The Cap // Pink Rabbits // Sea Of Love // Graceless

(To download: right click link > save link as > save MP3 to computer)




The National are also playing venues in the UK for touring the album. I managed to get tickets for the Manchester gig at the 02 Apollo which sold out in about 20 minutes! There are still a few tickets left for the London shows and are certainly worth the money. I will also do a review of the gig in Manchester in November.

Musings: Provocative Songs

Its that time of year again, that odd time when the long nights are slowly rolling back but winter still has a firm grip over you, an odd time which leaves many looking for comfort or solace in something. For some they find it in other people, family, friends, loved ones. For others things like art or photography. But for me I find it in my iTunes. The kind of songs that make you feel something beyond a catchy riff or a hum-able tune, songs that stir the emotions and memories, comfortable and uncomfortable ones. These aren't necessarily sad songs, but rather fulfilling ones, an intricate mix of the careful poetry of the lyrics and the music itself, which can stretch from vast soundscapes to one man and his guitar. Any song that can make someone feel something like that deserves a good amount of credit, and as a musician and lyricist, if I can ever make anyone experience anywhere similar emotions from a piece of work that I've helped create then it'll be a job very well done.

Quite often these songs find themselves on the end of albums, a closing statement of the work, and quite often a chance for the artist to bear some of their soul to whoever happens to be listening, something that artists do not get enough credit for in my opinion. Here are a few of my favourite provocative 'album closers':

re:Stacks - Bon Iver
Epilogue - The Antlers
Leave Me Alone - New Order
Cymbal Rush - Thom Yorke
Vessels - Tall Ships

Many of these type of songs also find themselves further back into their albums, and are no less as emotional and capable of raising the hairs on the back of your neck. There are dozens of these songs in my music collection but these are just a few of the ones that have been playing in my room of late:

Surprise Ice - Kings Of Convenience
Lippy Kids - Elbow
Woman When I've Raised Hell - Josh T. Pearson
About Today - The National
Champagne Year - St Vincent
Love Is All - The Tallest Man On Earth

Enjoy.

These next few days should also see a flurry of reviews coming soon, including EPs from Test Transmission and Ghost Capsules, as well as Foals' highly anticipated new album 'Holy Fire'.

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.