High Violet, the fifth album from Brooklyn-based The National, is a surprise highlight for me this year. I've never listened to the band before, but this album got incredibly good reviews and is selling well (it debuted at #3 on the Billboard 2000). I can't say I'm disappointed in the least. This is the kind of album I've been waiting for to come along this year. Namely, a true rock album that scores with stately melodies."Terrible Love" quickly establishes its layers of sound--some distorted--but none overplayed, so the effect is a hush rather than a wall of sound. Piano first and then guitar come to the fore, followed later by woodwinds and big drums. There's a lot going on here if you listen carefully, yet the result is never overwhelming, quite the latter actually. It's followed by "Sorrow," which is one of the most lovely songs and this quite lovely album. Matt Berninger's distinctive baritone voice serves this song well. He's got a nice deep, rich voice--no falsetto from this guy. The song's music establishes a mood of longing effectively partnered with its lyrics ("I don't want to get over you"). Great song. "Anyone's Ghost" is another keeper and was chosen as the album's second single.
"Little Faith" starts with a single tone, some discordant chords over distortion before resolving into its piano, synths and strings melody. As moody as "Sorrow" is, "Little Faith" may be even moreso ("I'm stuck in New York and the rain's coming down, I don't feel like we're going anywhere"). This is dark, but beautiful stuff. Paranoia darkens the mood even further on "Afraid of Everyone," which has prominent bass underpinnings. It's got some pretty cool drumming at the end too, picking up tempo as the song progresses. "Bloodbuzz Ohio," which was the album's first single, flexes a little more rock muscle than the previous songs, but its grandeur still feels like comes from a dark place. More Springsteen than U2 and certainly not Coldplay.
Berninger's appeal as a singer is broader than just his deep voice. He can sound like totally different singers on different songs. On folksy "Runaway," he sounds like an old weathered rocker, complementing the song's bleak atmosphere. "Conversation 16" is more upbeat, or should I say more uptempo, for there's nary a major key to be heard on this album.
Lyrically, the album can get a little weird at times, but such phrases are among its most memorable. "We'll play nuns versus priests until somebody dies" sings Berninger on "Little Faith." On "Conversation 16" the band goes Hannibal Lector ("I was afraid I'd eat your brains, 'cause I'm evil"). Yikes.
Rich piano and strings open "England," a song that just builds and builds, as does "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks," the final track, which is nice but a bit too plodding. These are my least favorite songs on the album. Not bad, but the album lacks a big finish.
High Violet is a striking album that insists on multiple listens to sink in. It imbues its songs with stadium-baiting grandeur, yet reserves quiet moments for them too. I'm definitely going to check out some of their earlier works, starting with their 2007 album, Boxer. I expect to spend a lot of time with High Violet this year. Definitely the best of the year so far.
Best: Sorrow, Little Faith, Terrible Love, Anyone's Ghost, Afraid of Anyone, Conversation 16
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