release date: Apr. 12, 2005
format: cd (BBQCD 241)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,65]
producer: Peter Katis and Paul Mahajan
label: Beggars Banquet - nationality: USA
Track highlights: 1. "Secret Meeting" (4 / 5) - 2. "Karen" - 4. "Looking for Astronauts" - 7. "Friend of Mine" - 8. "Val Jester" (4 / 5) - 9. "All the Wine" - 10. "Abel" - 11. "The Geese of Beverly Road" - 13. "Mr. November"
3rd full-length studio album by The National, who keeps to the same five-piece line-up and the band has signed with major label, Beggars Banquet. Peter Katis, who worked as co-producer on a few songs on the predecessor is here put in charge of production together with Paul Mahajan.
This is the first really fine album by a band, who seems to be a more confident band, and it's an album that brought them a sudden international fame, and "Alligator" is also enlisted in NME's "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" (ranked as number #162). Again, the album marks a change of style within their combination of alt. rock and chamber pop. This is the first album where I think the post-punk influence really comes through, and The National was one of a series of bands (which include Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand and Interpol) on both sides of the Atlantic who were all of a sudden labelled post-punk revival bands - and with this combo of styles, The National seems to have found their own special path that they will continue to investigate on the following albums to come.
Recommended.
[ allmusic.com, Mojo, Q Magazine 4 / 5, Uncut 5 / 5, Rolling Stone, NME 3 / 5 stars ]
