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 of keyboards and probably synthesized strings is going to be a central feature of the band’s sound.  The song constantly toys with a buildup but refuses to actually give any kind of release, and it’s weird to see a National song go on this long.  They try for more of a chill vibe on the strummed-guitar entries, a more rocking vibe on a few songs, and, in the case of “Available,” a full-on attempt to write to U2 song with the big wash of guitars and everything.  Sometimes it works for me and sometimes it doesn’t, all of which is going to be subjective.

 

At Sad Songs’s best moments for me, like the second half of “It Never Happened,” there’s an unmistakable groove as they just come up with a killer riff and ride it over and over until it becomes a soundscape.  Sometimes the National do rock, and, well, I’m a rock guy.  Just the way my particular tastes run.  And although I could very much be accused of missing the point of his own particular style, I sometimes wish this band had a frontman who was willing to raise his voice above a moody hipster’s mumble.  Any yelling should definitely be used sparingly, but once in a while a song demands that you sing real loud and/or shout, and Matt just won’t do it.  The record even fuck with me by including what sounds like a rock-n’-roll yell in “Murder Me Rachael” and buries it in the background distortion.  In the case of that particular song, it feeds the sense of under-the-surface menace that I assume the song is trying to convey.  But when every song holds back, I wish they wouldn’t do it all the time.  Hell, even just give me a catchy chorus like “American Mary” from the last record.

 

As a whole, Sad Songs For Dirty lovers is proving interesting to try to process and listen to.  Paradoxically, it’s also starting to get that feel of one of those records in which I like many of the individual elements but lack the ability to actually pay attention to a single song all the way through without my mind wandering.  I gravitate more towards tunes than towards vibes, and again, that’s just me.

 

Today’s nonsense National lyrics will come from “Patterns Of Fairytales:”

“I fell in love with you no matter what you say

But you were right about the reasons

To turn a magdeline into the month of May

I shoulda known that magdeline was me”

 

Huh?

 

- Favorite track:  "It Never Happened"

- Runner up:  "Fashion Coat"

- Least favorite track:  "Thirsty”

- Current rating:  3/5

 

My thoughts on listen #3 (and beyond, if appropriate) whenever I get around to it!