Album review

Brooklyn band the National has been overpraised and underfamous since the release of 2007's "Boxer," which did well enough to suggest a move from underground stardom to the actual kind was there for the asking. If their placeholder of a new disc, "High Violet," is any indication, the National is content to stay where it is.

"Boxer" was depressive and baroque, informed by the back catalogues of shoe gazers and sadsack Brits like Joy Division and Echo and the Bunnymen. "High Violet" is less of the same ルイビトン. It dials down its predecessor's charms, dispenses with most of its hooks and buildandrelease tension, and, lest you think the National was tempted by that whole indie superstardom business tiffany blue nike shoes, rubs the whole thing with a thick coating of fuzz.

It's methodical and smart, filled with inscrutable but deepsounding ruminations on love and loss lululemon outlet. Its twisty, intricate rhythms and lush orchestral passages would take lesser bands years to figure out. It's carefully made and entirely admirable and very, very dull, like an Arcade Fire album where nothing happens.

Like most National discs, its charms gradually reveal themselves over repeated listenings, although it might just be the Stockholm syndrome kicking in. How much you like the National depends on how much you're determined to like the National, a band that seems to delight in making it difficult. "High Violet" starts off almost lively but buckles under the weight of its deadeningly paced second half, enlivened only by the lateinning charmer "Conversation 16," which sounds like the theme music to a horror film starring the Cocteau Twins chan luu bracelets.

"I was afraid I'd eat your brains/'cause I'm evil," sings frontman Matt Berninger, though he doesn't sound evil at all, just enervated http://www.transxecute.com. By that point, you'll know just how he feels.

i really couldn't disagree more with this review. "high violet" gives the listener the chance to do something they seldom get to do victoria secret outlet. hear a band that's been on the cusp of nailing down their own unique sound finally knock it out of the park victoria secret swim.

i'm not sure how stewart can argue the album has no hooks lululemon outlet. has no build release chan luu bracelets. song after song, "high violet" plods forward in that nationalesque ambling way. takes a pause vanessa bruno, sits a spell, picks it back up. the hooks are there pandora style beads, hidden for you to find in the very orchestral passages stewart seems to be using as a backhanded compliment to the band.

as for berninger singing the line "'cause i'm evil" without sounding evil. he actually does it in this fauxuplifting voice that's resigned lululemon online. even wistful. what's more evil than being resigned to being evil?

and the shining moment of this wonderfully purposefully brokendown album clarisonic plus? second to last track, "england." it's gutwrenching ヴィトン バッグ, understated http://www.morethingsthatsuck.com, visceral, determined, ultimately defeated. the national doing what the national does oh so very, very well.Related：