#9 ALBUM:
The National, Trouble Will Find Me
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The National may be the most consistent indie band in history. Every full album since 2005’såÊAlligator explored a new variation on the band’s sonic stylings. InåÊAlligator, The National strived for simplicity, inåÊBoxer,åÊthey channeledåÊforce, and inåÊHigh Violet,åÊthey dove to emotionalåÊdepths. Yet, even with each album’s fresh theme, their musicåÊrevolved around Matt Berninger’s distinct baritone, machine-gun percussion, and ghostly atmospherics combined with a wine soaked middle-class malaise.
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Trouble Will Find MeåÊis another variation on these constants. The National still switches back and forth between rapid-fire, symbolic life commentary (“Don’t Swallow The Cap”, “Sea of Love”, and “Graceless”) and gorgeous meditations on love and loss (“Fireproof”, “I Need My Girl”, and “Pink Rabbits”) with every track. Their arrangements carry over the echoey percussion and piano of 2010’såÊHigh Violet,åÊwhile the precise guitar lines ring ofåÊAlligatoråÊand provide anchors for most of the tracks. The confessional style of the lyricism is here too, whether Matt is singing about being hopelessly in love, falling hopelessly out of love, being bitterly hopeless, or being hopefully hopeless.
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All of this consistency makes The National andåÊTrouble Will Find MeåÊbrilliant. I’d be hard pressed to name an artist that can release an album every two or three years that moves me. The National have accomplished that time and again. They’ve been criticized for being sad, and they are, all the time. But sometimes you need someone to speak your pain to heal it.åÊTrouble Will Find MeåÊgives us another album to make it through the human experience. It’s full of a beautiful kind of commiseration, much like the feeling of a kind word from an understanding stranger.åÊTrouble Will Find MeåÊreinforces theåÊconsistency of that feeling. And that feeling is why The National is my favorite band, and whyåÊTrouble Will Find Medeserves a place in our top ten.
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By Spencer Swan
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#9 SONG:
Foxygen, “No Destruction”
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One of the best debuts of the year, Foxygen’såÊWe Are The 21ståÊCentury Ambassadors of Peace and MagicåÊis filled with sly, loving tributes to 1960s psychedelia and pop. While the album boasts catchier and livelier tracks, none resonate quite like “No Destruction.” With this song, masterminds Sam France and Jonathan Rado are able to strike a perfect balance between levelheaded balladeers (“I’d hate to say I miss you, because you don’t need me anymoreÛ) and off-kilter parodists (“I’m talking to my grandma who lost her arms in the warÛ), possessing the type of unique voice critics all too often accuse the band of lacking.
Undeniably, part of the fun of Foxygen’s musicåÊisåÊthe Name-That-Musical-Influence game that follows each listen; on “No Destruction” alone, France pays vocal homage to Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan, and Lou Reed. Yet, perhaps what is most inspiring about “No Destruction” is how France and Rado are able craft a song that refuses to wilt in the shadow of its gigantic predecessors. When France memorably utters, “There’s no need to be an asshole, you’re not in Brooklyn anymore,” it’s the type of stinging kiss-off Dylan would be proud of. Rado’s arrangement hits all the right notes, as well; the band has become infamous for its supposedly toxic personalities, but the gentle acoustic guitars and soulful organ parts here suggest otherwise. While Foxygen might often echo the sounds of the past, “No Destruction” feels indicative of a bright future for this talented songwriting duo.
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By Cameron Meindl
