The National

They're a moody rock band with some good sense, but there's nothing fascinating or exquisite going on. None of the musicality is terribly imaginative; I haven't explored the lyrics much, but it's pretty easy to mumble vaguely. They do it well though. And they seem like cool guys, which sets them above most indie in my head.

Berninger and the drums define the sound. Berninger is not actually a great singer; the drummer is excellent; both are distinctive. It's easy to pick out a National song.

Maybe it's an old poster of them in grayscale, vested, formal, but I see them as austere. I like that. I take myself seriously. I like the subtlety. They certainly rock out, sometimes chaotically, but Berninger is usually pretty steady, and the drums are precise, even as the guitars scream.

I have two close comrades who love the National. I wish I loved them. I like the National. They're good smart musicians, but I need more imagination or beauty.

I listened to every album and single in anticipation of an August show. It was a little tough. I wasn't thrilled with the first four albums, just a few songs in there. Things got easier with High Violet. It seemed superior, though it's my most familiar so there's definitely bias at play. Even after that it was a little tough though. Little of it was exciting, though I don't mind it. Maybe when I was 15 I could think it was musically interesting, though it pales compared to most of the music I've heard and played since then. Yes, I'm implying I play more interesting music myself than the National. There's just a lot more going on theoretically. I know the National aren't thriving on theory... but in that void I need to really feel the music, and their genre doesn't quite deliver for me. Radiohead for me is far more theoretically interesting and more exquisite. Though emotionally alien, Radiohead somehow connects. It's as though intelligent aliens studied our human electrodynamics without speaking our language, and devised perfect music, though we still have no idea what they're talking about. Some musicians depend on storytelling; Radiohead is sonically emotive, with the storytelling of a microwave. (Actually, Radiohead's catalog is diverse. Some isn't that great, some is more human...)