SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE NATIONAL – SLEEP WELL BEAST

The National
Sleep Well Beast
4AD

Formed in 1999 and originally from Cincinnati, but now based in Brooklyn NY, American Indie Rock band The National have released their highly anticipated seventh studio album, Sleep Well Beast.

The first single, “The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness,” released earlier this summer, and now all over the radio, became the band’s first song to reach #1 on Billboard’s Adult Alternative song chart. 

The band’s core members include lyricist/vocalist Matt Berninger, guitarist/keyboardist Aaron Dessner, his brother guitarist/keyboardist Bryce Dessner, and two more brothers, Bryan and Scott Devendorf on drums and bass guitar respectively.

Four years have passed since the band’s last album, 2013’s Trouble Will Find Me, which was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album at the 56^th annual Grammy Awards. Key cuts on Sleep Well Beast include the epic personal music love letter from Berninger, “Walk It Back,” which is reminiscent of Lou Reed’s “Caroline Said” from his classic Berlin album. Perhaps not coincidentally, some of the tracks from Sleep Well Beast were recorded in east Berlin, in an old communist recording studio. Other standouts on the album are the aforementioned first single “The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness,”  “Guilty Party,” “Dark Side of the Gym” and “Day I Die.”

If you’re a fan of dark, but melodic rock (which I am), this band is definitely worth checking out.

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