The National
“Apartment Story” (KEXP)

I’m a relatively big The National head. I would say I love ‘em. I had not until very recently listened to their new album all the way through, even though I downloaded the ignominious leak months ago. And then it was released. My initial impressions number low; I have only one: “Blood Buzz, Ohio” is the only song that sounds like a real, polished song, and it’s not necessarily very good. What the fuck happened to these guys?

In my iTunes after the latest album comes this KEXP performance. The singing is pretty bad. (Well, the backup singers. Backup singers? More like: Back up, singers! [As in, take a few steps back so I can’t hear you, anymore.]) But this song is tremendous. I just moved to a new apartment and let me tell you, this song speaks to me. I may have only cognized about 50% of them (though I may have a handle on a larger part of the song; I’m hedging), but it seems to describe my experience very, very well. It speaks to me. It’s pretty and small and accurate. The music moves me. The lyrics are fairly great. The song’s propulsive. This is a good, good song!

What the hell happened to this band? I mean, what (!) the (!) shit (!!!)? The National’s new album is so terrible compared to Alligator and most of Boxer. The first National album is really good in its own way. It was more of a précis than anything else. But, damn, bro. I don’t even want to click back over to iTunes to see what the new album was called (SEO FAIL!).

It doesn’t really matter, I guess. It’s too hot to listen to The National. And they just work better when the road is shiny-slick under streetlights. You will be driving to a party, and you will have had three drinks with dinner. You should perhaps not be driving! But since you’re a guy (The National is for guys), you feel that bravado-stupidity? And you can hold your liquor. (Right.) You’re on a good mixture, you have a pocket full of twenties, you have drink in your collar, all the wine is for you, you’re going out to meet your good, old friend. Alligator is basically the chapter of Ulysses where Stephen hangs out with the medical students. But-and-still, they did something and well. Now? They make music for covered wagons filled with fake gore crossing a soundstage in a movie that won’t ever get made because it’s over budget and underwhelming.