They bloody did it again. Trust us, we’re as surprised as you are. The National, itinerant indie darlings and noted Obama adherents, have produced another watershed album in latest effort High Violet, a testament to their own continued creative wellspring. Matt Berninger, whose morose baritone set the gold standard for navel-gazing in modern music, continues to whine about the trials and tribulations of being an adult, though his travails this time around are less hopeful, a bit darker. His backing band is still just as consistent, providing a melodic and slightly droning backdrop for his jaded verse to shine through.
There’s an undercurrent of similarity flowing through the album, with songs bleeding into one another without much definition, but that’s admittedly a mild complaint. The National are as solid as it gets, and High Violet is simply another success in what will hopefully be a very long string.
DOWNLOAD: “Bloodbuzz Ohio”
