The National - Sleep Well Beast (September 8, 2017) Album • Page 47

Yeah, Sorrow is great. It's a perfect track 2 on that album.

 

Only been through this a few times but the don't wanna fuck it up song is my favorite

 

There isn't a song on this that I think isn't great besides maybe Empire Line, which falls into the same category as Little Faith and Heavenfaced where they sound and feel epic but something is kind of missing for it to be a top tier National track. I think the rest of the album feels pretty loose to me, and that song is so pensive. But still, an A+ record, 10/10, probably my #1 of 2017.

 

I'm definitely settling into Turtleneck being my least favorite. The guitar work is awesome, but the rest of the song doesn't really work for me.

 

Finally had the chance to listen to this today. It's easily the most immediate album by The National for me, the electronic flourishes are so welcome and elevate many songs for me. I fell in love upon my first listen, and this band usually takes a while to grow on me. I still need to spend more time with it and take everything in, and I'm excited to do so! Favourite tracks so far are the opener, Day I Die, I'll Still Destroy You (totally ruined me) and Guilty Party.

 

Empire Line seems like a popular pick for people's "lesser" songs in the album. I probably would have agreed my first couple listens but it's really grown on me. It's hard not to include it when talking about the stellar backhalf run this album goes on. Then you realize the first half has Day I Die and The System... and the opener and you start looking to the heavens, wondering just how this band does it.

 

This band somehow completely passed me by, but I've heard good things and liked the occasional song I've heard. Is this album a good place to start with them (if it is more immediate than some of their others)? If not, if someone can point me towards one of their older albums (or one of those brilliant flow chart things if the band has one), that'd be great :)

 

I personally think TWFM is the most immediate. I don't think this would be a good album to start with.

 

This album hasn't hit me yet. Surprised people are saying this is their most accessible, I think any of the previous 4 are more accessible than this

 

TWFM is most accessible but this was most immediate for me, if that makes any sense

 

Trouble Will Find Me is the one I've heard the most random tracks off, will start with that then. Thanks!

 

Yeah Trouble or Alligator is the best place to start, and the production on Alligator is probably enough to make me steer someone to TWFM first. I thought it was so funny in that avclub oral history of Boxer where they talk about Peter Katis pulling one of them aside after they came to him with the Alligator drum tracks and being like dudes you just signed a real record deal and this shit sounds like demos. Brilliant album but definitely in this weird mid-fi range on a lot of songs.

 

Start with Sad Songs. Always Sad Songs.

 

The variety of recommended starting points should speak to the band's quality. My vote goes to Boxer.

 

Boxer or TWFM

 

Boxer was so hard for me to get into, idk why.

my controversial feeling is that it's my least favorite of the last five (but still really really fucking good, ESPECIALLY on a cold dark night)

 

Empire Line is great I think.

I've given this about 4 or 5 complete listens so far and I'm somewhere between it being very, very good and it being impressive but boring. It's a very fine line where in two weeks it will have clicked one way or the other. It's just way less hooky than Boxer or TWFM and I haven't been able to pin down yet whether it's made up for by how meticulously perfect these arrangements are or whether the songwriting is just a little flawed.

Boxer being the best is probably why I wouldn't start with it - the next two are so similar to it, and to their detriment. I think I'd appreciate HV especially more if I was listening to it with fresh ears instead of with 3 years of pressure to follow up one of my top 10-20 albums of all time.

 

I agree with all of this

 

Your Boxer is my Alligator

lol that sounds like a shitty scene core band name from the 00's

 

Boxer was the easiest for me to get into and still my favourite.

 

Alligator was easiest, Boxer was the most obtuse at first. TWFM is my least favorite of the last 5 but its still an incredible record so w/e.

 

High Violet was my first album from them, I thought it was easy to get into at the time

 

Alligator first because it was my entry point to the band when it was released. Boxer is probably my favorite though. You literally cannot beat Slow Show/Apartment Story/Start a War trilogy

 

High Violet is their most hook filled album imo

 

I think TWFM has more hooks imo but High Violet is also the one I've spent the least amount of time with