I fell in love with the National almost immediately upon hearing “Fake Empire,” the opener from their 2008 masterpiece, Boxer. That song holds a special significance to me, and also acted conveniently as a gateway to their material: it draws you in and introduces you their idiosyncrasies, from Matt Berninger’s pained crooning and darkly-comical lyrics to the orchestral flourishes that spring up here and there. The National have an instantly recognizable sound of their own, but how much room is there for growth?
That is the question plaguing me as I listen through High Violet, the glum-pop outfit’s latest offering. I hate to use the “p-word,” but I fear they may have peaked. It’s not even that the songs on High Violet are formulaic – the National were never much for songwriting conventions – but they’re less engaging, less endearing and just less interesting. There’s no new ground broken here. Not to say it’s yielded a bad result, per se, but it’s a little safe, and that’s not why I listen to the National.
There are a few shining moments, however, and unlike most releases, they occur in the second half of the album. My advice would be to skip the first four tracks and come back to them when you’re not listening really intently. Who knows? Maybe then you’ll be surprised, or at least lulled into complacency. The first signs of life show themselves in “Afraid of Everyone,” which begins to grasp the introverted, somber atmosphere the National create at their best. “Bloodbuzz Ohio” and “Lemonworld” are a 1-2 punch that are, for me, the highlights of the album. They become significantly more adventurous after this, with the dreamscapes of “Runaway” and “Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks” truly paying off.
Disappointment is my gut reaction to High Violet, though I know deep down it’s better than 70% of the crap that will come out this year. I’d just recommend Boxer or even Alligator to someone who’d never heard the National before.
Overall: 6.5/10
