I have a confession to make..

.......... I'm completely in love with The National. Damnnnn it feels good to get that off my chest.

Now, I'm not quite sure how this happened. I mean, I've been hearing for months and months from friends and blogs alike how amazing they are, but after listening to a few tracks off 'High Violet' I was not convinced. In fact, Matt's voice annoyed the hell out of me. I think I went so far as to say to Reuben a couple of months ago, 'Uhh, they're like, sooo depressing I hate them'. And so, assured by the fact that I had given them a couple of listens and more than chance to impress me, I happily shoved them aside into the pile of music I'd be content never to hear again.

And now here is where I have to formally thank my Ipod's 'Shuffle' mode for forcing me to re-listen to the songs in that pile. When 'Lemonworld' popped up on my car stereo one foggy winter's morning, I motioned to do the mandatory skip-to-the-next-song-to-find-a-good-one (which I so often have to do these days to shuffle through the odd 14,000 songs my Ipod has accumulated, some of them questionable), but something stopped me in my tracks. I don't know if it was lush, opening chords, or the rolling drums, or Matt's pining vocal's, or what.. but something made me want to listen. And heck, I'm glad I did.

Because their album High Violet is incredible. It's pure, understated, lush, poetic, challenging - and ultimately, for me anyway - utterly rewarding.

The National have been described as all sorts of things; 'Dad rock', 'adult angst', 'grown-up pop'. Well hell, I'm only 18 years old and I can relate to everything these guys are putting out there. Which goes to show, although they are singing about kids, money, wives, uninteresting sex on Tuesdays and all the other shit that comes with middle age, the imagery in their lyricism is completely relatable and universal. And the instrumentation the whole way through 'High Violet' is absolutely gorgeous - the arrangements are lush and complicated without being distracting or cluttered. In short, I can't get enough. Songs like 'Runaway', 'Conversation 16', and 'England' only begin to show how amazing this band is.

So, if you haven't already listened to these guys, or if you have and hate them, I implore you to try again. And again. And again. And if you're not yet converted, sit down and listen again. Listen to them enough times to let this album creep up on you. Listen to them enough times and I assure you you won't regret it.

Damn you The National, I think I'm brainwashed.

'Conversation 16'

live on coffee and flowers,

try not to worry what the weather will be

'Runaway'

'Lemonworld'

C x