The National have returned with their highly anticipated album, High Violet. Based in Brooklyn, NY but formed in Cincinnati, OH, the band's follow up to the overwhelmingly critically acclaimed Boxer from 2007, the follow up finds the group using the same concrete formula that made their last album so unique and so successful.
The album starts off with "Terrible Love", a extremely beautiful tune that introduces the audience to frontman Matt Berninger's deep and powerful voice, sung in a very distinct baritone. "Sorrow" is a deep, harmonic tune that makes wonderful use of the guitars at hand and Matt's hauntingly beautiful voice taking charge of the song. "Anyone's Ghost" is a melodic and dynamic song that if you hear closely, you can hear background vocals courtesy of Padma Newsome from the band Clogs, who regularly contributes strings, keyboards, and other pertinent arrangements for the band.
As we continue on, we hear "Afraid of Everyone", a melodic and resourceful tune that features wonderful instrumentation all throughout, and best highlights drummer Bryan Devendorf's excellent drumming techniques. The album's first single, "Bloodbuzz Ohio", is a hauntingly beautiful tune that sounds like Matt is channeling Roy Orbison in a superb and sequenced track that features dynamic instrumentation all throughout. "Lemonworld" is a bold and rich tune that does a great job of complimenting each instrument and makes the song stand out from all the rest on the album. My favorite song off the album is "Runaway", a haunting and powerful song that best exemplifies the group's unique blend of instrumentation and harmonies into a sound that is very hard to come by these days.
Closing out the album we hear "Conversation 16", a strikingly rich tune that carries along quite nicely with commendable drumwork and perfectly synced guitars guiding the song along quite nicely. "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks" is a somber and heart-tugging tune that closes out the album in grand fashion with pristine vocals and rich harmonies to compliment the diverse instrumentation that makes this song stand out from all the others on the disc. It's a rarity these days that we hear an album that has raw and unadulterated vocals that reach out and grab you from the first listen, this album succeeds in doing just that. Too many musical artists these day rely on Auto-Tune to drown out the natural dexterity of their music and thereby reduces it to a synthetic mess. This album is naturally devoid of any of that technological enhancement that would have greatly compromised the musical integrity of the album.
Overall, a cohesive and transcendent album that presents a band in its purest form, continuing to evolve their unique sound towards creative avenues never thought possible while still retaining their bare-bones sound in the process.
Album Score: 4/5
Track Listing:
- Terrible Love
- Sorrow
- Anyone's Ghost
- Little Faith
- Afraid of Everyone
- Bloodbuzz Ohio
- Lemonworld
- Runaway
- Conversation 16
- England
- Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks
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