The National - First Two Pages of Frankenstein
Rock – April 28, 2023 – 11 songs, 47 mins
LUNDI
This weeks band can and has been described as “music your sad friend loves.” Sometimes my enjoyment for this genre of music can make me briefly question my happiness, but fear not friends this fella is great, I just simply love the beauty that exists in the musical sadness. Sans Radiohead, no one has struck that chord as beautifully as The National and now they’ve returned with their ninth studio album First Two Pages of Frankenstein. They’ve had one remarkable career to date, but Father Time remains undefeated.
The National are a musical and poetic force led by frontman Matt Beringer. He is one of the greatest songwriters of our day with his vivid imagery and metrical lyrics. Rarely is he direct with his thoughts but he paints such a vivid picture through language that it becomes distinct where his emotions lie. The profound and saddened feeling is carried through his deep grumbly vocal that can come very close to being described as spoken word. He’s not afraid to deliver vocals off beat and it all results in a leading man that is unmistakeable. On Frankenstein he sings more of acceptance and understanding than ever before, but still delivers what you’ve come to expect from the illustrious career. The lyrics may not have the knife through the heart feeling of old, but the healing process was certainly one worth exploring.
Musically, the band is led by lead guitarist Aaron Dessner who has an excellent ear for the creative which has long resulted in beautiful placed pianos, brass and string arrangements throughout their discography. It is remarkable seeing their music come to life in a live setting as it’s so well sculpted that a true understanding of all the pieces and links can be hard to gauge. On Frankenstein Dessner and co. continue to find opportunity to inject some beauty but unfortunately it’s sporadic and very minimal in the grand scheme. The album just feels much too safe. The musical progressions and layering that become so addicting with The National are nowhere to be found. Frankenstein is carefully developed to a fault. The ground work is laid, but the wow factor was never added.
There are some redeeming factors here like bringing on the likes of Phoebe Bridgers, Taylor Swift & Sufjan Stevens for features but even those could have been bigger and better. It’s disappointing when a favourite band can’t reach the glory days of old, but there’s no shame in a solid effort, especially when many bands in the same ilk can barely get a passing grade.
The run of excellency by The National from 07-13 could never be forgotten but it’s starting to feel more like a distant memory. Frankenstein is another solid effort from a very skilled group of individuals but it lacks the magic touch that vaulted them to indie rock supremacy.
Overall Rating: 7.2/10
Favourite Song: Your Mind Is Not Your Friend
REID
Too Sweet Reviews has opened the doors to so much new music for us and the overwhelming sentiment is positive. It has also shed light on genres that aren’t exactly our taste. One of those for me is monotoned vocals and this week’s band falls into that category. As always, I welcome a revelation and promise not to dwell on it in my review. The National is an American rock band comprised of two pairs of brothers (Dessner and Devendorf) on the instruments and Matt Berninger on vocals. Whenever I think of them, I think of my pal, Lundi, who tried to get me into them for years. Check this quote from his February 2021 review of Is This It by The Strokes.
Well well well, if it isn’t Reido pushing The Strokes on me once again. After years of saying I just couldn’t get into them, they blew me away with their latest album. I was finally able to appreciate their sound. It’s funny how a band can just one day click for you and suddenly you have a whole discography to tear through.
Now, we’re not exactly working on level playing ground here as Is This It is their most celebrated record and word is The National’s best years are behind them. But, you never know. Hopefully their nineth studio album, First Two Pages of Frankenstein, is the beginning of a new love. Other than a few loose listens to their hits, my knowledge of the band is minimal.
Before I get into the album, something I’ve always wondered - where does the band name come from? (Quote from Matt in a 2007 Interview with thescenestar)
“We were trying to find a name that didn’t mean anything. That was sort of devoid of any kind of interpretation and wasn’t overly clever. It’s just very simple. And that was the simplest thing we could think of just because it is so... You can’t walk down the street without seeing the words ‘The National’ something or other somewhere. So it was benign and meaningless; that’s kind of why we picked it.”
Classic musicians.
The strengths of Frankenstein are in the songwriting and music. Each track is layered with intricate details chronicling the highs and lows of Matt’s relationships, including the one with his own mental health. As you listen to and scroll through the lyrics of the eleven songs, his creativity is evident, even if you may not understand all the references he makes to his personal life. His words are supported by a sound that creates a warm feeling within. The piano and keyboard are beautiful throughout, especially on Once Upon a Poolside, The Alcott, Your Mind Is Not Your Friend and Send For Me. The soft guitar in New Order T-Shirt and Ice Machines is also pleasing to the ear.
The National added three star appearances in Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers and Sufjan Stevens, a testament to their fanbase. Unfortunately, neither make much of an impact as their features are in harmony or backing vocal roles. A full verse would’ve been nice, especially to break up some of Berninger’s … phew, caught myself. In all seriousness, several of the four and a half to five-minute songs drag on and would benefit from a trim. The album doesn’t do well on repeated listens, even with the reasonable runtime.
The National’s music is certainly an acquired taste but their talent is undeniable. I hear a mature sound from a veteran band. First Two Pages of Frankenstein has many heartwarming moments as well as more than a few sleepy ones.
Overall Rating: 6.7/10
Favourite Song: New Order T-Shirt
ROZ
Inherent bias: the effect of underlying factors or assumptions that skew viewpoints of a subject under discussion. This is a term that rings true in every and all mediums, up to and including music; a challenge that is known not only to the crew at Too Sweet Reviews but undoubtedly to all music journalists and media entities that do similar work as the three of us. Many times have we discussed here at TSR that one - if not all - of us have gone into a new album with an almost preconceived notion of how we will feel about it, but against these feelings we try to ensure that we give it our very best shot to be mindful and avoid allowing these notions to color or skew our results. The album this week is a perfect example for myself, so with that let us dive into The National's First Two Pages of Frankenstein.
Let’s get this out of the way right now: The National has a signature sound that isn’t exactly for everyone - and that’s okay. Lead singer slash Ohio native Matt Beringer’s monotone, almost apathetic cadence is one of an acquired taste, but trust me when I say when it hits, it really hits (look no further than About Today or The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness; check them out, absolutely fantastic). As a longtime listener I have always found that this timbre works extremely effectively when paired with an upbeat instrumentation, which is definitely the case on my favorite song of the entirety of the album, Tropical Morning News. Ultimately after continuous listens, I felt as though the other band members were somewhat muzzled - failing to leave much instrumentally memorable. This makes me sad because god damn do I ever enjoy this band when the band itself, not just its lead, is allowed to shine. Let’s continue that thought.
This is the part where I typically get into the weeds and pull out all of the aspects of the sonic spectrum or production elements and really flesh out my thoughts on the core of the overall sound that the band is going for. The issue with First Two Pages of Frankenstein is that there really isn’t much to talk about on this front. Beringer pours his heart onto the canvas but the canvas fails to convey or compliment anything on its own - a technique that has worked countless times before for other artists, but as a strategy is always a very bold risk. I’m personally all for letting the band take a backseat in order to spotlight the lead vocals and really let them shine, however I don't think that Beringer is the kind of artist to really thrive off of this methodology. Phoebe Bridgers and Taylor Swift can for sure, who’s features on the album (This Isn’t Helping, The Alcott, Your Mind Is Not Your Friend) are excellent, if not a tad lackluster.
You may read this and think of it as a roast. You may think this is me absolutely hating my listening experience. This is not the case; think of it more as an overall frustration in what could have been. Shining moments of a potentially great album become overshadowed by star studded cameos that take the shine off of the band itself. First Two Pages of Frankenstein has its moments but will ultimately leave fans yearning for the band's earlier work.
Overall Rating: 6.0/10
Favorite Song: Tropical Morning News