The National

[Simple Torture]

listening to this on npr. i realized on the system only dreams that there is such a fine line between matt hitting a higher note where he has to be loud and his paralyzing screaming that as a tendency to ruin songs for me. often he falls on the other side of that line. i hate screaming matt.

I totally agree. They did another live streaming show back when the album was announced and I thought System sounded horrible, but loved Guilty Party and the other quiet songs. I like the album version, though.

[PHATJ]

I also agree about Matt's voice. It definitely has weaknesses. Studio The National is where it's at. I'd still love to see them live, but I'm probably not going to spend much time listening to live performances. Although some of those can be great too.

[bodysnatcher]

i had no idea that he had pretty crippling stage fright

[digster]

I can't speak to the individual show (I'm avoiding this stuff till the studio album release), but I can't really imagine The National without that part of Matt's voice, particularly live. It's a big part of what offers the live aspect of the band such a different, more deranged feel than their records.

[PHATJ]

I get that digster, and I'm glad you enjoy the differences with the live show, but the reason it's different and "deranged" is simply because Matt is incapable of singing those parts "properly" in concert.

[PHATJ]

i had no idea that he had pretty crippling stage fright

I didn't know that either.

[Simple Torture]

I can't speak to the individual show (I'm avoiding this stuff till the studio album release), but I can't really imagine The National without that part of Matt's voice, particularly live. It's a big part of what offers the live aspect of the band such a different, more deranged feel than their records.

Agree in some sense. When you're at the show, it comes across as raw energy, it's frenetic, it's cathartic. On a recording it makes me turn the volume down for a second. I haven't seen them since the second (third?) High Violet tour but it's been awesome every time.

[psychobain]

proper version leaked

[digster]

I get that digster, and I'm glad you enjoy the differences with the live show, but the reason it's different and "deranged" is simply because Matt is incapable of singing those parts "properly" in concert.

Definitely, and IMO, they turn that potential liability into something that helps the song. When they play a song like Graceless live, Matt may just not be able to jump the octave in the last chorus and sing it cleanly. But the way I find it comes across is that the relentless pressure of the song finally pops. For me, the band is really good at turning the feelings of anxiety and panic into something cathartic; they feel anthemic, but for entirely different reasons than that word usually applies, and I think the panic in those moments where Matt's voice "breaks" for lack of a better term have to do with that.

[digster]

I'm excited to hear how the title track came out. I've only heard it a few times from that Pitchfork broadcast and it sounds fairly different.

[PHATJ]

I get that digster, and I'm glad you enjoy the differences with the live show, but the reason it's different and "deranged" is simply because Matt is incapable of singing those parts "properly" in concert.

Definitely, and IMO, they turn that potential liability into something that helps the song. When they play a song like Graceless live, Matt may just not be able to jump the octave in the last chorus and sing it cleanly. But the way I find it comes across is that the relentless pressure of the song finally pops. For me, the band is really good at turning the feelings of anxiety and panic into something cathartic; they feel anthemic, but for entirely different reasons than that word usually applies, and I think the panic in those moments where Matt's voice "breaks" for lack of a better term have to do with that.

Well said. They really are such a talented band.

[bodysnatcher]

just got an official digital copy of the album. about to give this a listen.

[chewm]

I kinda wish I hadn't listened to the earlier leak. A lot of these songs really come to life with this proper one. Especially Walk it Back so far.
And I'm not even somebody who's usually super concerned about sound quality

[chewm]

Damn, I think this is way better than Trouble Will Find Me (which admittedly didn't do as much for me as the 3 albums that precede it).

[Meddle]

I've never thought of Berninger's singing as any sort of limitation at their shows. He doesn't have a ton of range, but that never bothered me. I'm a fan of screaming Matt. Songs like Squalor Victoria are much better live largely as a result of it. I haven't listened to new album yet, but I didn't hear anything wrong with his singing last night on the new songs.

[chewm]

I'll Still Destroy You

[bodysnatcher]

I'll Still Destroy You

yeah, i am really digging that one

I dunno why, but i really love the line

Spoiler: show

This one's like your mother's arms when she was young and sunburned in the '80s

[chewm]

I'll Still Destroy You

yeah, i am really digging that one

I dunno why, but i really love the line

Spoiler: show

This one's like your mother's arms when she was young and sunburned in the '80s

Yeah, that one was among my favorites from the record. It's a very The National line too.

[oasisfan35]

I get that digster, and I'm glad you enjoy the differences with the live show, but the reason it's different and "deranged" is simply because Matt is incapable of singing those parts "properly" in concert.

Definitely, and IMO, they turn that potential liability into something that helps the song. When they play a song like Graceless live, Matt may just not be able to jump the octave in the last chorus and sing it cleanly. But the way I find it comes across is that the relentless pressure of the song finally pops. For me, the band is really good at turning the feelings of anxiety and panic into something cathartic; they feel anthemic, but for entirely different reasons than that word usually applies, and I think the panic in those moments where Matt's voice "breaks" for lack of a better term have to do with that.

Well said. They really are such a talented band.

The band tends to use a 'wall of sound' approach on stage, which as we know can work well.

To me studio and live performance are quite separate, the studio take is a frame of reference but not necessarily something I will compare that live performance to with heavy gravity; I can love them both but for reasons all their own.

[Simple Torture]

Lots of songs on this record about sleep and dreaming. The thematic unity really hit me on even just the first listen through. Gonna try to relisten as much as possible over the weekend.