The National - Sleep Well Beast (September 8, 2017) Album • Page 43

The subtle electronics are really well done here. I'm a fan

 

Trying again, didn't take on the first listen for some reason.

 

Anything to say about "Guilty Party" other than "Holy Fuck!"?

 

This is good

 

Wow they're using computers now?!!? I miss when REAL bands made REAL music with actual instruments. It's like a Matt solo album at this point. I bet the other guys in the band are just so bored on stage when these songs are played. Just let the computers do all the work I guess. Easy paycheck

 

Like Science Fiction, this is hitting me and my life at a very particular point and it makes the music that more powerful / devastating / important. Feel like the two could tie for AOTY.

 

Walk It Back is a really stunning song

 

Yep. Maybe my favorite song lyrically at the moment

 

Is this the 22, A Million thread?

Lmaaao

 

My ears were broke, I'm really liking it now

 

I know you are 100 percent joking but wanted to add that I Saw the album live and this isn't the case at all. They combine all of the elements so well. It's weird I loved the album live and then listened to it last night and it didn't hit me at all but now I'm liking it a ton, I think I was just really blown away with the live show.

 

The electronic elements are my favorite part of this album. There's always so much going on deep into their songs and this adds yet another dimension

 

Okay I'll Still Destroy You is just on another planet. That might be my initial favorite. That song, Guilty Party, and Walk It Back are my immediate standouts, but I really love almost everything here. The only song I'm unsure of is Turtleneck.

 

I could be wrong but going by my "hopeless JV fanboy" ears the following songs are full of his OP-1 / production.

I'll Still Destroy You
Guilty Party (this one is basically confirmed)
Sleep Well Beast

 

The background beat of the title track reminds me of 33 GOD in a way

 

I realize I'm posting at an annoying rate but I have to say one more thing before I stop looking at my phone for the night:

The chorus in "The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness" Contains one of their top 5 hooks. I feel like this song isn't mentioned because it was the first single and this album rollout was EXTREMELY long. But fuck.... what a great song. Possibly the best lead guitar work to date for them.

Alright. Happy fall, y'all.

 

Make a black metal record with this album cover in black and white. You won't do it

 

The night is dark and full of terrors

 

Well I have been listening to a lot of Panopticon this week..

The world could always use more sad black metal

 

Ive never been big on the National tbh. Always enjoyed their albums to some degree but never on the level that so many others do. But this record is connecting with me pretty hard today. imo its got at least the three best National songs with Carin being my early favourite.

 

Throw an illegible logo on that bad larry, and you're golden

 

The album hasn't stuck with me from the get-go as easily as other National albums have but I just know after a few more listens it's all I'm going to be listening to. Guilty Party is an early standout for me.

 

Turtleneck is the best song. You'll come to see the light.

 

It's good. I need to dig more into it. Early impressions are there's not many hooks and the ones that are there are mostly repetitive (not in a bad way, but simple lines repeated)

 

Mostly through listen 2, it's obviously a good record, but it's going to need some time to grow on me before I really know where it stands relative to the rest of their discography/recent albums in the same general umbrella. I don't think I agree with not many hooks, but there probably are fewer than on TWFM (and those were a huge strength on that record). The production and mix is out of this world good, though I think there are a few points where the electronics (particularly more percussive elements) are a little heavy handed. Overall I think they add a ton to the band's sound.

The second half of Guilty Party starting with those guitar flourishes around 3 minutes in, holy fuck, best thing this band has done since Boxer.