Album Review: “High Violet” by The National

Posted on July 29, 2010 by Shelley Peckham

By Steven Spoerl

After hearing leaked tracks and seeing a few of the new ones performed live last year at Milwaukee’s gorgeous Pabst Theater, I had very high expectations for The National’s High Violet. After finally getting my hands on a copy and giving it an inaugural listen, I was completely satisfied with the fluidity and strength of the record, but wondered about its staying power as it hadn’t gripped me as intensely as Alligator or Boxer did.

Then I thought back to Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers and was a little uplifted as I had the exact same trepidations after listening to that record for the first time. It was one that I ultimately revisited almost as much as Alligator and Boxer. With that in mind, I found myself being pulled back in for another round, to give High Violet another try.

“Terrible Love” – A fantastic song, with perfect placement among the other tracks. It’s still better in a live setting though, as the band makes one of their only missteps by opting for murky production.

“Sorrow “- The kind of slow-burner The National have become acclaimed for making. Overall, not as strong of a song as “Racing Like A Pro” or “Daughters of the Soho Riots,” but it definitely wins points for the absolutely gorgeous adornments nonetheless: breathtaking backing vocals, string arrangement, and sparse guitar lines.

“Anyone’s Ghost” - One of the best songs on the record, the kind of propulsive drumming and musical construction that other bands would give their careers for. Also one of Berninger’s strongest sets of lyrics (the way he delivers “Go out with your headphones on again and walk through the Manhattan valleys of the dead,” may be the epitome of what The National does), and a heart-stopping musical conclusion.

“Little Faith” – This was a song that started off as one of my least favorites but grew on me with each listen, until it became not only one of my favorites on the record, but of the year thus far. An unusually melodic performance from Berninger and another extremely impressive performance from drummer Bryan Devendorf (who is fast becoming one of the best drummers in contemporary music). Another very strong set of lyrics as well: “Don’t be bitter, Anita/I know how you think/You’re waiting for Radio City to sink…”

“Afraid of Everyone” – The swooning backing vocals, primal drumming, tasteful (and somewhat eerie) trumpet, undercutting harmonium, and scissor-like guitar work made this my absolute favorite track on the album. I’m positive this will eventually become a staple in their live sets.

“Bloodbuzz, Ohio” - This song stunned me when I first saw it performed, and blew me away on the record. It may be Berninger’s most catchy melody, as I find myself often singing or humming his part to myself. Another knockout song from The National that’s bristling with extremely nervous tension—something that only Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds can do as well as The National. A very good song to put on repeat and find yourself endlessly drifting off to.

“Lemonworld” – Boasting one of their most attention-catching lyrical introductions (“So happy I was invited/Give me a reason to give out of the city/See you inside watchin’ swarms on TV/Livin’ or dyin’ in New York, it means nothing to me…”), I had very high expectations for this song, but it ultimately just meanders along, never evolving into something bigger. This is The National coasting on auto-pilot. While it’s still a somewhat enthralling listen, “Lemonworld” is ultimately what prevents me from giving High Violet a 10/10.

“Runaway” – When I saw The National in Milwaukee last year, they opened with this. It was my favorite song of 2009, and may very well be one of the best songs to have been officially released in 2010. Pure heartbreak, one of the most elegant and subtly refined songs that the band has ever released.

“Conversation 16″ - Possibly the most intense song on the record, as well as the most brooding. The melody leans a little close to “Lemonworld,” in some parts. Plus, “I was afraid/that I’d eat your brains,” (as ridiculous as it sounds) is a guaranteed crowd sing-a-long and is delivered with genuine concern. A very intriguing listen, that’s already become somewhat of a fan-favorite. This is also The National’s best use of rise, fall, and fade within a song to date.

“England” - Opens with a Sufjan Stevens-esque piano part (and it may very well be played by the man himself, as he is credited on the album) and works itself to a thrilling climax. One of the only songs to have been released in recent memory to have a build-up as engaging as the climactic moments. The sequencing here originally confused me, as this would’ve made sense and been a very worthy set-closer, but like most of the rest of the seemingly uncoordinated album choices, it has grown on me.

“Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks” – Another one of The National’s most gorgeous moments, it serves as a wonderful companion piece to “Runaway.” When it draws to an end, however, something very strange happens—I don’t want to listen to the album again, as I often do with other albums. It’s as if High Violet is a complete work, only deserving of one listen every so often, in its entirety, and most importantly (in the age of single mp3s and shuffled playlists), in album sequence.

All in all, High Violet succeeds extremely well despite the often weighty subject matter (make no mistake, this is NOT a joyful record), and the patience it requires to fully immerse yourself in. Like almost all other National records, it reveals itself in subtle layers. High Violet isn’t the sign of a band growing up, growing tired, or growing old. It’s a re-affirmation of strength and a notice from one of this generation’s best bands that they aren’t planning on giving up or going away anytime soon. In this very peculiar way, a very somber album becomes a celebratory one. As long as there are bands as astute and finessed as The National have continuously proven themselves to be, there will be hope for not only the future of music, but the present as well.

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The National will be in Madison on Tuesday, September 28th at The Orpheum Theatre. Grab your tickets now, while they’re still available. These won’t last much longer!