955 The National - Trouble Will Find Me (2013)

 955 The National - Trouble Will Find Me (2013)

Studio album - Alternative Rock



About the Act:

The National were formed in 1999 in Brooklyn, New York, although all the members are from Cincinnati Ohio. The band comprises 5 guys, four of whom are two sets of brothers, and the fifth (Matt Berninger) is the singer, front-man and lyricist. They have released 8 studio albums and have been compared to Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen. Critics like them.


About the Album:

This is the 6th album by the band. It sold really well and critics liked it.


My History with this Album:

None


Review:

I listened it through but my attention kind of slid off it. I'm trying again. The predominant adjective that comes to mind is "dreary". For some reason, dreary music seems to do well with critics and the public, maybe because people like something to listen to when they feel down. Matt's voice is naturally dreary, so I couldn't imagine him trying to sing something happy, I think it would fall flat. I can hear why there are comparisons to dreary bass singers like Leonard Cohen and Nick Cave, but for some reason, I like those two a lot more than I like this.  

Today is a grey day outside, which suits the music well. It's kind of a dreary day. The music and voice are laying on me like a wet blanket. There must be something that I like in some dreary music, that I don't find in other dreary music, and I think that good (in my opinion) dreary music is interesting lyrically, while this is, well, not. Not to my mind. Maybe if I listened to it many times I would start to decode the lyrics. They are not cliche-ed, just pretty impenetrable. Or maybe that's my mind trying to avoid concentrating on it. Dull. It's not interesting musically either. The best thing about this album is the cover art, which at least is interesting.


5.5/10


Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/2JhR4tjuc3MIKa8v2JaKze

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6oUwjyvk_PiteIU9Kg5SaL_z0FtfNY7u

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trouble_Will_Find_Me


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

944 Manu Chao - Próxima Estación Esperanza (2001)

Image
 944 Manu Chao - Próxima Estación Esperanza (2001) Studio Album - World Music About the Act: Manu Chao is a French-Spanish musician of Spanish descent who grew up on the outskirts of Paris. In the mid-80s he was in a Spanish/English rockabilly group called Hot Pants. In 1987, with his brother and cousin he founded the band Mano Negra, combining punk and world music influences and playing on the Paris Metro. This band took off and had 4 studio albums. In 1995 Manu "went solo", forming the band Radio Bemba Sound System to be his backing band. The punk elements were less prominent, but he started to make music that "replicates the sound of street music and bar scenes from a variety of cultures". He has been really popular in parts of Europe.  About the Album: This album was Manu Chao's second studio album as a "solo" artist. In Spanish, the name means "Next Station: Hope", after a real station on the Madrid Metro. The album reached top 10 slots ...
Read more

840 Various Artists - The Best of Girl Groups Volumes 1 and 2 (1990)

Image
 840 Various Artists - The Best of Girl Groups Volumes 1 and 2 (1990) Compilation (double) - Girl Group (Soul/Bobby Soxer/Do-Wop) About the Album: This is a highly acclaimed compilation in 2CDs by Rhino Records. It's the sort of thing that in this country you might expect to see at 3.99 in a Garden Centre. My History with this Album: None Review: There are not many multi-artist compilations in this series for reviewing. There is not information about it on Wikipedia, but the reception seems to have been positive. It is choc-full of hits with a smattering of lesser-known songs, and it's hard not to imagine Grease or similar situations - girls with cardigans and white socks, listening to the juke box while sipping milkshakes in the drug store. On one level it's a fun collection of songs that you could use to feel nostalgic, or as the music for a themed party. On another level it's kind of like a cultural artefact. I feel honour-bound to describe it, even though if I drop ...
Read more

843 Chambers Brothers - The Time has Come (1967)

Image
 843 Chambers Brothers - The Time has Come (1967) Studio Album - Psychedelic Soul About the Act: The Chambers Brothers are an American Psychedelic Soul band from LA, who were formed in 1954 and are still going. They were at heart four brothers, but I think they have now all left the band.  About the Album: This was their debut album (12 years on from forming as a band), and it spawned their most successful single Time Has Come Today. My History with this Album: None. I had never heard of the Chambers Brothers before this list. Review: I am not an American, nor a Social Historian, but I think I can accurately claim that in 1960s America there was a certain separation between the Black community and other communities. As a result of this, and for marketing reasons, the idea of music that was created with a Black audience in mind was an actual thing. I'm not sure if today we would be quite so sure about what constitutes "Black Music", but then, I think, they were generally q...
Read more