The National

High Violet

Brassland Records

Grade: A

To be honest, after The… The National

High Violet

Brassland Records

Grade: A

To be honest, after The National released Boxer in 2007, I thought the best we’d see from the band had come. But three long years later, its new album, High Violet, changed my mind.

High Violet still has the soothing and low voice of lead singer Matt Berninger carrying each song over quick beats and mellow instrumentals. The most distinct difference is that the new album has a sort of lo-fi, ethereal quality that fans haven’t heard before.

The most striking aspect of the album is how real The National’s songs are.

They’re not about extraordinary circumstances or mind-boggling love. They’re about drugs, real relationships and coping with everyday life.

So while it’s tough to debate whether High Violet topped The National’s other four albums, it’s an undeniablely great collection. It shows that The National is anything but slowing down, and that it’s still a band with a lot to offer.