THE NATIONAL – Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers (2003), listen #2
Okay, the record didn’t throw me quite so much anymore. But it’s still one to process – not necessarily a good thing meaning there’s endless depth or anything, more like there are good bits and less interesting bits and I’m trying to sort out where they fit together. I’ve already tried to draw a distinction between songs that are about melody and songs that are about vibes, and especially vocally, the National tend to be going heavy on the vibes. It’s a valid approach to what I’m so crudely calling “indie rock,” but there has to be momentum that makes the listener’s head not on an exquisitely crafted atmosphere, or else I’ll be bored by it. The actual nature of the vibes here varies from track to track. Certainly “Cardinal Song,” which I kinda hated on first listen and kinda dug on second listen – although I’m still a little unnerved by its self-defeating protagonist being referred to as “you” and the lyrics being structured like advice - makes it sound like the wall