release date: Jul. 3, 2001
format: digital (12 x File, MP3)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,12]
producer: The National & Nick Lloyd
label: Brassland Records - nationality: USA
Track highlights: 2. "Cold Girl Fever" - 3. "The Perfect Song" - 4. "American Mary" - 9. "Watching You Well"
Studio album debut by Ohio-founded band The National consisting of lead vocalist Matt Berninger, lead guitarist Scott Devendorf, also backing vocals, bassist & rhythm guitarist Aaron Dessner, and drummer Bryan Devendorf [who fronts the album cover]. The album is released on newly-founded label Brassland, which amongst others include the band's bassist Aaron and his brother, Bryce Dessner as co-founders.
Musically, the album is labelled as alt. rock, americana, and indie rock. I have only come across this after listening to the band's fine third album Alligator (2005), and compared to that, this is more quieter and alt. folk-shaped making me think of American Music Club cloned with music from British jangle pop of the early to mid-1980s and perhaps early R.E.M. and a more recent American band like Grant Lee Buffalo. This isn't all bad, although, I don't find it as great as their later works and initially rejected it as a poor debut - which it's not. It's just not all that originally sounding.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]
