7.01.2010

*Yawn*: High Violet

http://crystalwolves.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/the-national-high-violet-front-cover-art.jpg
I usually try to silence the hate around here, but once in a blue moon I think it's OK to take something behind the woodshed, especially when that something is an album that everyone seems to like. High Violet is the new album by The National, and while I don't think it's horrible, I fail to see what all the (blood) buzz is about. Matt Berninger's voice is good enough and the music is decent, but is it really the album of the year like some critics have made it out to be? How did this debut at number three on the billboard chart? Does it really have mass appeal? The lyrics are VERY depressing. Are this many people depressed? Just look at the titles of the first few songs: "Terrible Love." Hmm. "Sorrow." Hmmmmmm. "Anyone's Ghost." Not so bad. "Little Faith." Uh oh, we're back to that again. "Afraid of Everyone." Sweet Lord. The imagery is often disturbing, as Berninger moans about spiders, zombies, and brain eating. He also talks about drugs on several occasions. Should we have him committed? It seems like m'man is making a career out of taking his deepest personal problems and sharing them with the world. He claims in interviews that the songs aren't meant to be as sad as they sound, but I'm calling bullshit here. They wouldn't make sad songs if they weren't sad, would they? Or maybe they would. Maybe they fabricated their own sadness. If that's the case, I HATE The National.

Seriously, you're better than this, unless of course you're a masochist and like to listen to tunes that you know will make you sad. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for having an emotional catharsis through listening to music. But that music needs to have some sort of upside, an "I'm down but not out" sort of notion if you will. High Violet is all down, musically and lyrically.




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