The National - The National

The National make sturdy American music, the sort of stuff that's built out of solid songs, radio-ready hooks, and tasteful, efficient arrangements. The CD's earnest, straight-ahead material is often country-flavored, but it can also evoke '80's rock anthems. Matt Berninger sings of the heart's travails in a sensitive, manly way that recalls fellow romantics like Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen. He's equally adept at packing a slew of words into a single vocal phrase or milking a single word for dramatic effect. The guitar-bass-drums lineup is nicely abetted by the occasional piano line or synth flourish. There isn't room for surprise or eccentricity on this album; everything here is completely worked out and professionally crafted. But that's one reason this disc will appeal to people with a taste for well-made rock. --Fred Cisterna Amazon.com

This one is totally worth picking up

My favorite National record is still the latest one (Boxer) but this record has more than a handful of classic National songs.

Anyone who is a fan of the band had best give this record the time it deserves. August 22, 2007

Not their best, still really good

I already have Alligator, Boxer, and Sad Songs, And this is yet another great addition. I haven't had it very long yet, so some songs are still growing on me, typical of The National. Anyways, Beautiful Head and American Mary are the best songs on here. 29 Years is really good too, Berringer reprised it at the end of "Slow Show" on Boxer. Aside from that, the other songs are good, but not their best. This is a good debut album, and Beautiful Head and American Mary are in my top "The National" Songs. As I've said in other reviews, if you're new to The National, get Alligator, and let it grow on you. July 8, 2007

An Honorable Lineage

Though they've grown exponentially over the last two releases, The National arrived fully-born on this debut. Vocalist/lyricist Matt Berninger has only honed his sharp and honest voice, but that commitment to detail is all over these 12 tunes. They plumb the Amerindie sound without redefining it; instead, they join an honorable lineage that includes Warren Zevon, Matthew Sweet, R.E.M., Drive-By Truckers, and, especially, Afghan Whigs. There's a bit more gentility here than on Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers or Alligitor; with luck, they will just get rougher and rougher. The mire becomes them. June 27, 2005

I love this CD.

For various work-related reasons, people are always giving me their CDs to listen to. A coworker bugged me for months to listen to this CD, but it wasn't until I put it in my car's rotation that I had time to listen to it. That was last week, and I've been listening to it almost constantly ever since. I love the resonance of his voice, the lyrics are fresh and intelligent, the songs are all listenable and just fantastic. I can't say enough good about it. October 1, 2002

If you are between the age of 18 and 38, buy this album.

I could listen to this album every day. It's that good. This is coming from a guy who had to fill his 400 CD random player to keep things interesting.

I won't analyze The National's album. I wouldn't want to taint your perception. April 18, 2002

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