High Violet – The National (2xLP)

In spite of all the intimacy that always surrounds the band, which originally comes from Ohio, they have managed to create a huge hype since their first album in 2001. Their fifth work "High Violet" also justifies any euphoria: The National surpass themselves once again. The exuberant gesture of the previous album "Boxer" (2007) also determines these eleven compositions, which, however, appear more harmonious in themselves. The subliminal bubbling "Terrible Love" sets the aesthetic fixed point of a record right at the beginning, which lives from the interweaving of intelligently staged rhythms with strings, wind instruments, piano and the band's typical, very direct guitar sound. The arrangements and melody arcs maintain the tension, the effect of the strong compositions is mostly epic ("England"), hymnal ("Bloodbuzz Ohio") or deliberate, as in "I'm Afraid Of Everyone". Ultimately, it is once again Matt Berninger's unmistakable, deep baritone that makes "High Violet" a great The National work

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Your intelligent mixture of the light pathos, often alienated with a lot of reverb

by bands like U2 or Coldplay, the Summoning of the Dark à la Joy Division and slight borrowings from Wilco is quite unique and highly recognisable." (Good Times, 10 / 11.2010)