About

A TAV Essential Listening Album.

High Violet, the fifth studio album by The National, was recorded at the band's studio in Brooklyn, NY, and at Tarquin Studios in Bridgeport, CT. Produced by the band themselves, they were also assisted by Peter Katis who worked with them on previous albums Alligator and Boxer. A huge success, it went on to win Album of the Year at The Q Awards in 2010 and earn the band their first Brit nomination.

"Returning with a slightly darker and more ornate sound, the National remain masters of widescreen, emotionally engaging rock." - Pitchfork

"Per usual, the album is filled with Berninger’s consistently captivating, dark narratives, mulling over the complexities of his most troubled relationships with the people around him and the places he’s lived; those cryptic stories that slowly unveil themselves with each listen. Whether it’s a twisting cogitation of monotonous marital turmoil (“Conversation 16”) or revelation of the unusual sensation that comes with a nag-induced return home (“Bloodbuzz Ohio”), Berninger’s tales of broken hearts and big-city isolation do little to hurt the case that he’s one of the finest lyricists out there today. As specific as his stories may be in regards to his own experiences, there’s something about their abstractness that keeps the doors wide open for interpretation and universality simultaneously. It’s the combination of his enticing metaphors and his emotionally exhausted, honey-drip delivery, the idea that you can feel what he’s singing, if nothing else. Even if you have no idea what he’s talking about specifically, you can understand the specifics of the emotion. There’s no necessary desire to look into the man’s personal life for answers, either, because the feeling is powerful enough for none of that to really matter. That’s what makes his words so entrancing." - Consequence of Sound

"Like an American Elbow, the National have taken over a decade and several albums to bring their mournful, elegiac anthems to a point where High Violet is the magnum opus that will make them stars. Crafted from humming guitars, tinkling pianos, militaristic drumming and occasional orchestration, their fifth album is beautifully subtle and grows in power with each listen. There's nothing so obvious as a rocker, but a selection of understated, troubled anthems hinge on Matt Berninger's mournful baritone and wonderfully diverse lyrics. Covering issues from modern neuroses to medication to warfare, his words can be self-explanatory – "Sorrow got me when I was young ... put me on the pill" – or beguiling, like Bloodbuzz Ohio's "carried to Ohio on a swarm of bees". Their trump card is a brooding grandeur, which make the likes of grandeur Afraid of Everyone and Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks some of the most exquisitely heartrending songs you'll hear all year." - The Guardian

More about The National:

Formed in 1999, the Ohio-raised, Brooklyn-based band consists of vocalist Matt Berninger plus two pairs of brothers: Aaron Dessner (guitar, bass, piano) and Bryce Dessner (guitar), and Scott Devendorf (bass, guitar) and Bryan Devendorf (drums).

Early albums The National and Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers preceded their signing to Beggars Banquet in 2004. Alligator (2005), including 'Mr. November' and 'Daughters Of The Soho Riots', raised their profile as the band grew into a compelling and incendiary live proposition. Boxer (2007), featuring songs like 'Fake Empire', 'Mistaken For Strangers' and 'Start A War', sold over three times as many copies as its predecessor and saw them gracing the likes of the Letterman show and touring with REM. Barack Obama later used 'Fake Empire' in his election campaign, on the soundtrack to the promotional video Signs Of Hope And Change.

Since going the distance with Boxer, which along with Alligator has made countless “album of the decade” lists, The National have been, in the main, very busy. Aaron and Bryce produced Dark Was The Night. “That was a real undertaking,” says Aaron. The 31-track album to benefit the Red Hot Organization featured contributions from Arcade Fire, Bon Iver, Grizzly Bear, Yeasayer, and many others. It has so far raised close to $1,000,000. This allowed Red Hot to make donations to many AIDS charities, including an emergency grant of $150,000 to Partners In Health in Haiti, right after the earthquake. The Dessners also produced a sold-out concert for Dark Was The Night at Radio City Music Hall, at which The National performed as well as acts like David Byrne, Dirty Projectors, Feist and Bon Iver. - 4AD

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