#specifically matt berninger’s depression

[yepthatsacowalright]

“When I asked Phoebe Bridgers about the band's reputation for giving voice to a certain strain of middle-aged male angst, she said, ‘Something middle-aged men and teen-age girls have in common is the act of finding yourself, and being kind of self-conscious. Maybe some beliefs that vou've held on to for a long time are finally being shed. The teen-age girl in me is obsessed with The National, and feels very spoken to and seen by them, maybe for the exact same reasons that they speak to middle-aged men.”

- The Sad Dads of the National

[groovesnjams]

“Weird Goodbyes” by The National (feat. Bon Iver)

MG:

I’ve written before about my struggle with aging, specifically with my taste in music as it ages, and “Weird Goodbyes” is another entry in that unspooling thread. The National are an adult band, by the time they had their mainstream breakthrough they were already singing about bosses and kids and wine -- caring about any of these things, but especially caring about all three, is the biggest signifier that your youth has fled and your identity is fractured and subdued by responsibility. I liked hearing The National sing about these things even when I still in college because I was super depressed and when you set these thoughts to slow moving minor chord progressions they also sound super depressed. I was surely headed for the invisibility of “Green Gloves” or the suburban hedonism of “All the Wine,” might as well meet myself there early. And, yes, as I near the end of my 30s I am invisible whenever I’m not in the way and I smoke weed in my backyard and a lot of my clothes have an elastic waistband. But I thought this would feel like giving up and it doesn’t, it just feels like a much quieter version of the leavening dread that buzzed between my ears throughout my formal youth.

“Weird Goodbyes” isn’t an exciting pairing -- this mix of personnel is available repackaged as Big Red Machine and the more recent Taylor Swift albums -- but there’s a certain preciousness, like fine glassware displayed on open shelves, to this presentation that I deeply appreciate. You can’t start from scratch, you never could however real it felt when you quit jobs and relationships and apartments, but you can rearrange the furniture in protest and the space really does feel different for a few days. “Weird Goodbyes” is full of the dust of our lives, swirling and sparkling through a slant of light provided by the always understated and affecting vocal performances of Matt Berninger and Bon Iver. That dust keeps collecting, reminding us we’re dying a little bit more every day, and it’s a form of soft pain without an anodyne. Whether or not it’s embarrassing to admit you feel this pain, whether or not it’s better to ignore this pain and valiantly stay young, whether or not you even have a say either way, “Weird Goodbyes” exists as an erstwhile middle ground for the in-between moments.

DV:

As someone who’s maybe a little better about the concept of aging but still adjusting to the physical reality of it all, I do wish that when I had to hear a The National song it would at least be about how sometimes you sleep in a bad position and your shoulder is stiff for a day and a half. Or the way that you might not be able to eat cheese any more without a stomach rebellion. Maybe Matthew National has covered this territory - here, he’s flitting between half-connected thoughts instead, over the same kind of slow-burn production that The National were turning out regularly when I checked out of their mid-budget Comfort Inn after Barack Obama was elected (the party in Grant Park played “Fake Empire” on loop for about 30 minutes and I realized I never needed to hear it again.) Bon Iver makes a good duet partner, but otherwise this is a song that anyone could have heard at any point in the past 14 years and thought was from the most recent The National album. Plenty of bands find a rich vein and mine it for their entire career, repetition is not a flaw in itself - this is only a knock because I have no interest in their shtick (and Beringer’s voice has never clicked for me.) “Weird Goodbyes” is fine enough as background music, a light morning fog that dissipates as the temperature changes and is forgotten as soon as the sun rises. I’m sure the band will somehow manages to write it again in the next decade.

[cozytwilight]

evermore / twilight saga correlations 🌲✨

willow: Alice & Jasper because she “saw him” before he knew her. The lyric, “life was a willow and it bent right to your wind, head on the pillow, I could feel you sneaking in” made me think that this type of feeling was Alice’s pov. Also, “I come back stronger than a 90′s trend” is SUCH Alice attitude. Also relatable to Edward/Bella in that he is “wrecking her plans” being human and she is begging him to “take her hand” in changing her to be with him forever but whatever

champagne problems: about Jacob from Bella’s pov when he receives her and Edward’s wedding invite. Champagne problems means insignificant problems in the grand scheme of things, yet feels big to the person/people dealing with the problem. These problems could be those such as the problems brought upon Jacob and his family by Bella being with Edward/the Cullens. Lyrics like “your Midas touch on the Chevy door” goes back to early moments such as Bella’s first time seeing Jacob since they were young as Charlie is showing her the Chevy he bought her from Billy as well as moments in New Moon when they would drive in the Chevy together.

gold rush: I immediately thought of the rush/euphoria/drama of Edward and the Cullens and the way they are perceived at school for being “gorgeous”. Bella’s first interaction with Edward and getting to know him. Also thought of Rosalie’s beauty and how stunning she is depicted to be.

‘tis the damn season: New Moon!!!! Specific lyrics like, “I won’t ask you to wait if you don’t ask me to stay” and “there’s an ache in you, put there by the ache in me” (Bella’s pov) “the only soul who can tell which smiles I’m faking” and “Time flies, messy as the mud on your truck tires” (Jacob’s pov)

tolerate it:  This one could be Edward’s pov @ Bella or Bella’s pov @ Edward. In Edward’s pov, he feels constant guilt in having Bella involved with him. I thought of the pregnancy bath scene when Bella takes off her robe and Edward watches her from behind, feeling completely disgusted with himself and what he’s done. In Bella’s pov, she feels she is putting his family in danger for her life, constantly feeling like a burden because of her clumsiness and weakness as a human.

TW // r*pe | no body, no crime: Honestly, I thought of Rosalie killing Royce and her r*pists right away with this one.

happiness: New Moon; Bella dealing with the depression and nightmares from Edward leaving her. Specifically the lyrics, “Past the blood and bruise, past the curses and cries. Beyond the terror in the nightfall haunted by the look in my eyes that would've loved you for a lifetime”.

dorothea: I thought of Carlisle and Esme. They are the most wholesome couple of the series in my opinion and I picture parts of this song depicting Carlisle’s pov of their relationship when they first met. Lyrics like, “when we were younger down in the park, honey, making a lark of the misery” make me think of the resentment they felt early on toward their immortal life, but making the best of it together.

coney island: Matt Berninger’s verse is Edward’s pov after leaving Bella. “What's a lifetime of achievement if I pushed you to the edge? But you were too polite to leave me.” and “Will you forgive my soul when you're too wise to trust me and too old to care?” This goes back to the constant guilt Edward is feeling for his involvement in Bella’s life.

ivy: I thought of Bella no longer wanting to be a human with the lyric, “the old widow goes to the stone every day but I don't, I just sit here and wait grieving for the living” and “my pain fits in the palm of your freezing hand” referring to her feelings toward Edward.

cowboy like me: Literally just thought of Jasper. Also Charlie Swan and Billy Black...in this house 🏠 we stan the dads. long story short: New Moon! Bella subconsciously falling in love with Jacob during their blossoming friendship; fixing motorcycles in his garage and spending time together, he gets her mind off losing Edward and helps pull her out of her depression. I literally picture this song on the soundtrack like WHILE Bella and Jacob are in the garage together. 

marjorie: Bella’s dream seeing her grandmother in the mirror, but it was really herself grown elderly and grey.

closure: I immediately thought of Leah and Sam with this one; specifically Leah’s pov. The hurt she felt when Sam left her for Emily and is forced to be in closeness with him through the pack. Leah is one of the best characters and I’m sad she never got a brighter ending :( 

evermore: Bella’s pov in New Moon while spending her days depressed and hopeless, as the song goes through a “grey November” and December. She grasps onto any memories of Edward and acts recklessly to hear his voice and confirm he was real, lyrics like, “I thought of you in the cracks of light. I dreamed of you, it was real enough to get me through”. Bon Iver’s verse is Edward’s pov, last verse transitions into Edward’s return and into Eclipse “I had a feeling so peculiar this pain wouldn't be for evermore”

I also posted this on my twitter account, you can see here - and I included some photos! :)

[mooosicaldreamz]

We obviously need your song by song analysis of evermore please!

i got asked to do this about four times so here it is.....much anticipated. i know. please note that when i say that i hate her or despise her i don’t actually mean that. but i do

EVERMORE

OK LETS GO

WILLOW - ok, groovy first time you hear it, right? has a strong rumbly wiggle. let’s VIBE. the low of the verse, the high of the chorus…oh my goodness! what is she doing. she’s just out there! wow. “wherever you stray i follow” is a banger. “life was a willow and it bent right to your wind” with the overlay oof let’s go.!!!! a shockingly strong first entry of the record…best one since “welcome to new york” maybe!!! let’s just say it!!! for some reason “i come back stronger than a 90s trend” throws me off though…i don’t know. it’s just so moody pop, no one is doing it like her!!! i hate her

CHAMPAGNE PROBLEMS - every time i listen to this song i listen to it four times. not a joke. it’s perfect. i don’t think i need to convince anyone! it’s perfect!!!!! what are you doing? taylor swift, the most dramatic bitch, has been writing dramatic bitch songs since she was fourteen and yet, somehow, she contrives to write even more dramatic things as she ages. this song is a JOKE. there are not ENOUGH songs about denying proposals! it’s just simple and sad. oh my god. it’s insane. the fact that she wrote this with her boyfriend (i have a running theory that they are married, we are going to refer to joe as her Perfect and Glorious Husband from now on) …… come on. the ENTIRE BREAKDOWN. “YOUR MIDAS TOUCH ON THE CHEVY DOOR / NOVEMBER FLUSH YOUR FLANNEL CURE / THIS DORM WAS ONCE A MADHOUSE / I MADE A JOKE WELL ITS MADE FOR ME / HOW EVERGREEN OUR GROUP OF FRIENDS / DON’T THINK WE’LL SAY THAT WORD AGAIN / AND SOON THEY’LL HAVE THE NERVE TO DECK THE HALLS THAT WE ONCE WALKED THROUGH” ���…. concluding with that absolute stabby killer “what a shame she’s fucked in the head” oh my god……….. and the song resolving in a very adult “you’ll find someone else” god

GOLD RUSH - ok so like this song is like ok it’s got the same groovy high /low that’s happening on willow but it’s so different! it’s so good! the pulse of the beat propelling the whole thing through and then the falling apart “oh what must it be like to grow up that beautiful”……………..ok. the visceral image of “my eagles t-shirt hanging from the door” …………. i admire very much taylor’s oncoming gift of moving through high/low imagery…… i love her so much? it’s so HARD. “my mind turns your life into folklore” beautiful! BEAUTIFUL! also i have some belief in me that this is about karlie kloss but i shall not dive into that hole.

TIS THE DAMN SEASON - oh so i’m supposed to LIVE with this song EXISTING. WHY!!!! HOW……..oh my god………..taylor was like, yes, i’m going to write a song about a famous girl going home and banging her high school flame for a week and jack and aaron were like oh ok. “i parked my car between the methodist and the school that used to be ours.” she is such a joke. “you could call me babe for the weekend” like ok emo!! emo!!! OK. I LOVE THIS SONG

TOLERATE IT - taylor really gave us the most depressing track 5, but it’s absolutely a banger and i love her! she is just vibing! oh my god. what a specific emotion to pinpoint with this song….it’s such a gift. no one is hitting this space

NO BODY NO CRIME - this song has no business being on this record but in the BEST WAY, like how daddy lessons mysteriously appears in the middle of lemonade. oh my goodness. this is just pure country revenge song. taylor was like oh actually i haven’t forgotten my roots and i hate men more than i ever have. and she got haim to sing with her. and it’s so good. the low “i think he did it” oh my goodness. this song is a joke. how is it real? it’s just a perfect radio song. it reminds me very much of “before he cheats” but it’s a lot more sonically calm

HAPPINESS - similar to “tolerate it” and i think “champagne problems” this song is beating on an emotional bush that is really really hard to hit the head of. like, so she collabed with the national and bon iver on this record and previous obvi, and i LOVE them, but their music can often be very………impressionistic? perhaps? is how i might put it. it’s sometimes hard to get a note of specificity from it. imo. but taylor loves a fucking story bro. and she has figured out how to tell made up stories. she can’t be stopped now. like…this space of a breakup and knowing that it’s for the best and being sad in this way? name a pop star who has a song this nuanced. for real! god. i despise her. “across a great divide / there is a glorious sunrise”

DOROTHEA - the other half to the far superior TIS THE DAMN SEASON and a banger all the same. it has the bouncy joy of the most buoyant national songs. in the same vein as the also far superior BETTY, she has her sweet dumb boy slurry and less intelligent voice. i love that she paints these narrators this way, it’s just nothing she would have ever reached for ever before this period. she has a Perfect and Glorious Husband now and she has begun to understand teenage boys, FINALLY.

CONEY ISLAND - i have upon many occasions opined that i love the national VERY MUCH. i once went to a festival with my gf and her sister to see them even though i was expressly not invited and you know what despite the fact that it caused a lot of angst, i got to see the national play TERRIBLE LOVE in the middle of the night and I SCREAMED IT. so like, listen. what is matt berninger doing here, to me, specifically????????? i was somewhat hesitant about how their voices might blend, but it works astonishingly well. and i think that it’s so wonderful, i can’t. the imagery of a dreary coney island…..”sorry for not winning you an arcade ring.” as taylor always proves, the bridge is spectacular. “were you standing in the hallway / with a big cake / happy birthday”……”and when i got into the accident / the sight that flashed before me was your face / but when i walked up to the podium / i think that i forgot to say your name” sorry to yOU calvin. she had ISSUES. and now she has a Perfect and Glorious Husband. also “sorry for not making you my centerfold” ok kaylor

IVY - this song is about emily dickinson and i DARE you to tell me that i’m wrong. I DARE YOU. I DARE YOU. you’d be wrong! embarrassing for you. taylor finally writing a probably legitimate queer song and it’s about fucking emily dickinson is so on brand…..it’s dripping with poetry and groove and she’s so fucking dumb i hate her so much. her narrative of ivy and poetry and the lakes district…….ok taylor. i know. i know you watched all the dickinson things that came out and you identified with her. the gentle sway of the “oh, goddamn” and the “oh, i can’t”……i CAN’T EITHER TAYLOR !!! i CAN”T TAYLOR!!!! “oh goddamn / my pain fits in the palm of your freezing hand / taking mine but it’s been promised to another / oh i can’t / stop you putting roots in my dreamland” TAYLOR. and then she says, “oh you didn’t realize this wasn’t gay?” “i want to know the fatal flaw that makes you long to be magnificently cursed” like @ emily yourself taylor “he wants what’s only yours”……TAYLOR. give me the entire catalogue of emily dickinson songs!!!!! i can’t do this. “springs breaks loose / but so does fear” “i’d live and die for moments that we stole / on begged and borrowed time / so tell me to run / or dare to sit and watch what we’ll become / and drink my husband’s wine.” taylor if you see this post, a, i love you, b, i need you to tell me about ivy, and c, PLEASE can i have tickets to your next tour in the year 2025 or whenever because my gf never buys me any to your shows……….i love this song if it isn’t clear. i think i’d love it if it wasn’t gay

COWBOY LIKE ME - ok this will sound weird and if you’ve read this far i’m going to assume that you don’t care about me being weird…but this song reminds me of the fanfiction STAY THE NIGHT by lynnearlington (maybe u’ve heard of it). please reply if you think about this and feel the same. “never wanted love / just a fancy car” “you had some tricks up your sleeve / takes one to know one / you’re a cowboy like me” the opening line re: the tent-like thing reminds me very strongly of the fourth of july at our family’s country club and they set up a tent over the parking lot and this song just makes me think of that vibe????? i don’t know. i have vibes. i love this song a lot, which is impressive because it follows after the gay euphoria of IVY. perhaps this is because it gives me its own gay euphoria. “now you hang from my lips like the garden babylon” ???? is one of the most gay, seductive, brutal lyrics i have ever heard. she wrote that down and was like, oh yeah, vibez, hundo p. she did that to me

LONG STORY SHORT - this song is an honorary sequel to I FORGOT THAT YOU EXISTED from the lover era (honestly i’m still in the lover era). but i actually think this song is better! so we are taking that. “actually i’ve always thought that i looked better from the rearview” ok taylor let’s access that feeling! “no more keeping score / i just keep you warm” is like, stupidly sweet.  rip to calvin but now taylor has a Perfect and Glorious Husband.

MARJORIE - made me cry, simple and beautiful. one of the more personal songs on the tracklist! and something that i had never considered that she would write about, but i think the quarantine period has allowed a lot of us to dig into our feelings, so….vibez. we’re vibing!

CLOSURE - this song’s production sounds a lot like bon iver’s recent productions, very tech-y and repetitive and spare. rip to karlie kloss but taylor has a Perfect and Glorious Husband and karlie’s legal last name is kushner so who really won? hmm? i love “i’m fine with my spite / and my tears / and my beers / and my candles” the inclusion of candles is just. vibez. there are four candles lit rn in our apartment!

EVERMORE - i think this song is very intriguing and i’m still puzzling with it! the simplicity of her depressive gray November phase and then the very ebullient and bold bon iver interlude……..really has a manic/depressive, sad/angry vibe???? it feels so on brand for this pandemic quarantine…..and it works shockingly well, except for that i’d rather listen to the bon iver part for 10 minutes more. “all my waves are being tossed / is there a line that i can just go cross” and then taylor’s sort of call and response with his interlude……should just be the whole song.  but it’s still good. that’s how annoying she is

[quarantineroulette]

Meet Me in the Bathroom and where things went wrong in NYC

“I remember seeing these kids that were 15 years old...They were saying, ‘This is the first time I’m seeing the Strokes. I listened to them all through elementary school and middle school.’ It was so cool to see them there so excited. I don’t know, maybe somewhere, somehow, years from now Vampire Weekend will do some kind of reunion show, but I can’t imagine young kids being there saying, ‘I love Vampire Weekend so much...I’ve been listening to them since elementary school.’ And if they are, they should be punched in the face.”   - Laura Young, blogger

While reading Lizzy Goodman’s Meet Me in the Bathroom: Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York City 2001 - 2011 I found myself in a state that was equal parts amusement and depression. I moved to New York in 2006, after the initial New York Rock Renaissance had settled a bit. I came to New York because of a few of those Renaissance bands - specifically Interpol - but one year later the lackluster (to me at the time) Our Love to Admire was released and it just got worse from there. A few good bands and lots of bad ones came and went, New York became increasingly harder to succeed in if you were without a trust fund, and much of Brooklyn rapidly morphed into a suffocating Disneyland for yipsters. 

Goodman’s book evokes both the excitement that drove people like me to New York and the despair at what it inevitably became after a certain point in time. But it’s also much more than that: an account of the in-between era, when the Internet grew from being a gathering place for harmless to deviant weirdos to a music-sharing network to be reckoned with; an oral history on a few of the last rock bands who made it through before the door closed perhaps definitively; a very gossipy petri dish; a less cool younger sibling to Please Kill Me.   

My main takeaway from Meet Me..., however, is that it encapsulates a turning point for artists in NY, where wealth and marketing skills trumped having any real talent. It started out innocently enough - the book mentions that The Strokes, Interpol, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the big three it focuses on, all came from varying degrees of affluence. The sheer power of Karen O left Yeah Yeah Yeahs fairly safe from claims of derivation or stagnation that were sometimes directed at The Strokes or Interpol, and early on I even found myself thinking, “did I ever really need to read this much hyperbole on The Strokes?” Then I remembered that something like “12:51″ is basically a perfect song - that instantly irresistible riff, instrumental chorus, the handclaps, dumb lyrics - and I let it slide. 

 As NY slowly evolved into the kiddie’s big city play set it is today, money gradually overtook talent and so we had things like the Misshapes, whose ethos was that anybody can DJ, just show up and plug in your iPod, no further skills necessary. Because these Jersey kids had the marketing wherewithal, in crowd connections, & an entrepreneurial approach to early social media, Misshapes became a huge nightlife phenomena, overshadowing Tiswas, a less successful, more authentic club night in a similar vein, where being a DJ was (rightly) considered a learned skill. 

Then came the rich kid music nerds like Vampire Weekend, who blended styles that never really needed to be blended just because they downloaded a bunch of music from the Internet and it seemed like a novel idea. Because of privilege, these boat-shoed Columbia students could say they made music as a “hobby” not as a “profession” and got a lot farther than The Strokes in the process. The Strokes, suffering from “leader of the pack” syndrome, took a creative tumble as squarer bands fielded calls from Geoff Travis and debuted in the Billboard Top 20. 

Despite these depressing findings, I found a lot to enjoy in Meet Me..., especially the chapters on Yeah Yeah Yeahs - whose history I honestly wasn’t that knowledgable of - and of course the passages on Interpol. The commentary from Paul Banks was especially hilarious, and I could’ve easily just read a book of him and Matt Berninger from The National going back and forth on things (I’m aware this probably makes me sound like a sad white dude and I accept it). I also appreciated its focus on the rise of blog culture, and how this medium gave more of a voice to female music writers and fans. Those women, as well as the late, great Marc Spitz, were the critical voices whom I most appreciated, although it was nice when Rob Sheffield shared his PG Conor Oberst / Nick Zinner slash fantasy. 

My main criticism of the book is its omission of some of the less successful bands of the era - such as Calla, stellastarr*, !!!, The Double and others. A few are given a sentence or two, but a whole chapter would have been preferred over chronicling The Vines, The Killers, and other outlying bands who were included to show the scope of The Strokes’ influence. In this way I found the book a bit too macro, and would have preferred if it focused on a slightly shorter period of time. This could have created some loose ends, but some of the more interesting bands covered - Liars, TV on the Radio, The National - peter out inconclusively, although TV on the Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe gets a pretty brilliant final say in a chapter entitled “We Warmed it Up for you Fuckers.” 

All in all, Meet Me in the Bathroom made me even less happy about being a New Yorker in 2019, but it also gave me a decade’s worth of early 2000s music trivia to pull out whenever my friends and I tire of complaining about how lame New York has become.  

[chorusfm]

The Sidekicks – Happiness Hours

Happiness Hours should go down as one of the great pop artifacts of 2018. It may not be suited for Top 40, but it checks all the boxes of a great pop album. Frontman Steve Ciolek has mastered the art of turning highly personalized lyrics into something absorbing and universal; like a DIY Matt Berninger, he possesses the songwriting ability to make anyone nostalgic for a specific time in their life while distinctly singing about his own. An exercise in duality, the album’s guitars are sunny and clean, except for when they go down a darker, more distorted path. Happiness Hours presents pop music in two different lights, equally as weird and ambitious as it is bright and polished, often within the same four minute song. Experimentation, youth, and the unwanted changes that come with growing up are common themes throughout the album. References to “caps and gowns” are made on the explosive “Other People’s Pets,” a red herring of an opener that is decidedly faster and heavier than almost anything else on the record. Halfway through its 90-second runtime, the song bursts into the kind of undeniable vocal melody Ciolek is known for, acting as a proper buffer between Happiness Hours and 2015’s sleeper hit Runners in the Nerved World. Later, on the blissful single “Twins Twist,” guitarist Toby Reif lays a bed of shimmering, mid-tempo guitars to soundtrack Ciolek’s memories of gravity bongs and a “Chronic 2000 high school state of mind:” The high keeps you on the ground When your favorite one in town isn’t around Kissing other people and trying not to fall in love Dancing in the darkness, but in the daytime, it’s just a shrug This time around, Ciolek shows restraint with the falsetto that helped earn the band so many comparisons to Band of Horses and The Shins, only really utilizing it to underline some already impeccable melodies (such as the chorus of “Mix For a Rainy Day”). Later, in that same song, Ciolek delivers a weathered bridge filled with that specialized-yet-universal longing, immediately granting the song new weight and dimension: I wanna sit your roof again Not talk about people or friends Listen to ice cubes clinking, and planes Amazed how without touching, we touch each other’s brains The band also tips their collective hat to previously unheard influences. “I felt insane on Lover’s Lane,” starts Ciolek in “Win Affection,” a bouncy piece of jangle-pop pulled straight from The Smiths’ songbook. With a Morrissey-like cadance, he continues: Less dog with tail between its legs More like my guts are on display Food out on a tray, but I can’t eat it Doesn’t that sound defeated? And that’s not the only nod to pop’s original depressive crooner; the danciest song here is about, well, not feeling like dancing. But the irresistible power-pop of “Don’t Feel Like Dancing” blazes more trails than one, saving room for a grin-inducing guitar solo – a trend continued on the next track, “Weed Tent.” Fortunately for us, The Sidekicks never really stop trying new things here, from the shape-shifting tempo of “Serpent in a Sun Drought” to the hyper-literal balladry of the album’s title track. Tucked within its winning closing sequence is “Medium in the Middle,” a back half highlight that follows up on the propulsive energy hinted at in the album’s opening track. Here, Ciolek is at wit’s end, hearing “Hotline Bing’ on constant loop’ and having to explain that, no, he’s not straight-edge, he just already has a headache while turning down booze. But then, a refrain, as the band comes down from the album’s highest point and cools down with the acoustic chords of “Happiness Hours.” Jolting us back to the present, Ciolek reflects on some of his strangest thought processes, about giant white crosses and giant white cross companies, before delivering the album’s ultimate coda: “So if happiness comes in hours/Well it looks like it’s that time for me again.” Somewhere between Weatherbox’s Flies in All Directions and The Hotelier’s Goodness lies Happiness Hours, an album so reliant on basic human experience that it seems impossible not to relate to some of these songs. As is the case with many of pop’s finest, you come for the hooks and you stay for that unexpected depth that you really ought to expect by now, and as a follow-up to Runners in the Nerved World, The Sidekicks have crafted something perhaps less immediate, but certainly bigger and better in a way only the best sequels can be. In our fairest timeline, Happiness Hours is the kind of album that will unite listeners regardless of genre classifications, as it seemingly transcends a number of them without even trying. --- Please consider supporting us so we can keep bringing you stories like this one. ◎ https://chorus.fm/review/the-sidekicks-happiness-hours/

[willandandy]

The National - Sleep Well Beast by Will

  Hello my name is Will Stubbs and I love music. I feel that music is the best medium for creativity. People can explore new ideas and emotions with the help of music. I am here to talk about music that interests me and maybe start a great conversation. Thanks for reading and remember to love music forever.

The National are an indie rock band from Cincinnati. They are well regarded and respected within the indie rock community with several albums on NME’s 500 albums of all time. I myself am a huge fan of their work, especially the album Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers. While the album is very juvenile and melancholic, it has overwhelming charm and catchiness that really grabs me. While many people criticize this band for being too simple and sophomoric, I quite enjoy them.

This album was interesting to say the least. I had an unbelievable time trying to decide if I enjoyed it or not. I don’t think that this record is divisive or anything unless you are already a fan of this band. I think after several listens I can write this review, but I wouldn’t be surprised if my opinion changes very abruptly.  

Let’s start this review off with the first song “Nobody Else Will be there”. I love the ethereal muddy piano with the quiet soothing drum beat. I think that this song took the road that Radiohead and Fleet Foxes went with their newest records. Not comparing these albums other than the way that they have many songs that are slow, somber, quiet, and beautiful. When this record does that I find it to be their strong point. This song seems to be about a failing relationship, which is not a new topic of this band at all. This one doesn’t seem to be about a break up necessarily, but more like the trouble of a stagnant relationship. He feels it’s going nowhere and he needs to figure it out.

The next song “Day I Die” seems to compliment the last song lyrically, but is faster paced and not as produced. The guitar mixing doesn’t meld well with the rest. It’s distracting and unpleasant. This song is clearly about a nasty breakup. He talks about other people who will accept him and how he drinks to forget his problem. I think maybe the anthemic guitar and steady drums are supposed to make this problem sound more uplifting, but I don’t think this song was well put together.

From my research on “Walk It Back”, I could find that this song is equating the failing relationship and instability to the Donald trump presidency and his distaste for the way this country has been run. This seems more apparent by the Karl Rove interview that was sampled within the song and the bands political efforts with the Obama Campaign. I don’t like getting political when I write these or even in my art in general, but I enjoyed the track and what it had to say. As for the sound, I think that the sampling is precise and poignant. In opposition of the last song, I think the mix is much better in this track.  

I love the next track “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness”. Even though the punchy guitar riff that is repeated throughout is annoying and sort of misplaced, the rest is fantastic. The lyrics, title, and instruments are awkward and confusing. The band even mention that the song name and the band themselves are at an awkward place in their careers. Look at the chorus “I can't explain it

Any other, any other way”

It seems to follow The National’s typical theme of relationships and the anxiety that comes with that. This is a great example of how they use it to their advantage.

“Born to Beg” is a great relatable track for me personally. It is most likely my favorite track on the album because of this reason. I love the slow muddy ethereal melody that is throughout this track. The production is very spacious and impassioned. The lyrics are about not feeling good enough, self-esteem, self-worth, and being involved with a person that you feel you don’t deserve or is better than you. The bridge of this song says enough “I'd cry, crawl

I'd do it all

Teakettle love, I'd do anything”

The next track “Turtleneck” is a very obvious political track. It’s obvious in its implication and vitriolic to a large degree. The music really enforces the theme. It’s punchy and loud, especially for The National. They make reference to a national embarrassment and while I may agree with them in this regard I have to be impartial. This song is very messy and too short. It’s out of place and boring.

The next track “Empire Line” fits better in the context of the record. Its theme is again a long standing and failing relationship that he has a hard time dealing with. Matt is hesitant and depressed that he has to let it go and is frustrated at all the mixed signals and unanswered questions. I enjoy the thumping drums and the slow, thick, and enveloping instruments that climax towards the end of the track. It seems that Matt is trying to salvage what this relationship is and it’s very touching. I love the sentiment and the music is great.

The following track “I'll Still Destroy You” is about matt’s toxic qualities and how he has anxiety about his relationships, whether it’s with his spouse or his child. I find it interesting how in the beginning of the song its really bare and that’s when he presumably talks about taking pills or some other substance. Then when he does the song begins to pick up and become more full and catchy. The beginning synth beat is really stupid sounding, and not in a good or charming way. I like the track as it moves on, but the beginning idea is great but poorly executed.

Matt Berninger describes the next song “Guilty Party” as being about him and his wife growing apart and dealing with that in a healthy way. When asked about by Tim Lewis from the guardian, he was quoted saying “It was a way for us to tiptoe into dark territory without actually having to talk about those things,” he explains. “Most of the songs are about things I’m afraid of or things I really want to hold on to. A lot of it is about inhabiting alternate realities and digging into it. Its confessional but it’s not autobiographical, if that makes sense. It’s emotionally confessional, but the details aren’t always specific to my stuff. Some of it is just made up.” I love how emotionally honest and self-deprecating he is. Like other songs by The National, Matt is talking about himself and his emotions very openly. This track is gorgeous. I would say that the production is the best on this track. Nothing feels out of place. They experiment with it but done deviate too far from their formula and I appreciate that.

I love the following track “Carin at the Liquor Store”. Its simple melody and emotional performance by every member speaks to me very clearly. The mixing is also fantastic. I wanted to go over the meaning and preface to this song. Carin is Matt’s wife. This song is about how important she is to him and how fundamental she is to his life. The track/album is dedicated to Aaron Desner’s mother who had passed away from cancer while they were recording this album and I appreciate the sentiment.

One thing I appreciate is that this album gets much better as it goes along. The last few tracks are all great and all flow together seamlessly. The next song “Dark Side of the Gym” is just a pure love song. Yet again, it’s ruled by its simplicity and I appreciate that. It doesn’t take any bold moves or gestures, but it’s still a beautiful song. I like when the national experiments, but sometimes you just need a simple song to explain the complicated and confusing idea of love.

The last track “Sleep Well Beast” is really strong and threaded. It’s a great ending to this record. The track is very ambitious and leaves me satisfied. The band talks about the beast as their children and youth In general as though they are preparing for life ahead of them. The sleep is the bands metaphorical hibernation as a method of distancing themselves from everything and focusing on their family. I loved the intentional ambiguity and obvious anxiety threaded throughout this record. They show themselves very thoroughly in this record and I’ve always adored them for that.

I enjoyed this record quite a bit. It’s a bit messy and some things they did didn’t really work but I enjoyed it. I love their honesty about their work and the method of delivering emotion. They didn’t break new ground, but they are consistently putting out good work.

Top Tracks:

Nobody else will be there

The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness

Born to Beg

Carin at the Liquor Store

Rating:

7.5 – 8/10

 Sources

Lewis, Tim (August, 27, 2017) The National: ‘Even in the hard times, we always loved each other’ retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/aug/27/the-national-sleep-well-beast-interview