The National: High Violet (4AD)

By Marney Beliveau  •  in Review
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If Bruce Springsteen and Joy Division copulated and made a sweet sweet love child who then went on to make sweet music, it would be The National. Regardless of what mental image you have right now, High Violet‘s desolate lyrics and delicate arrangements swirl together with the deep baritone vocals of Byran Devendorfto take you on deeper trip than any given Friday night.

The music is nothing short of remarkable, but it’s the lyrics that are destined to be quoted on young hipsters myspace pages everywhere. Lyrics like “I won’t be no runaway, cause I won’t run” or ” I was afraid I’d eat your brains/ Cuz I’m evil” or even “I was carried to Ohio in a swarm of bees”, leaves me wondering how they got their hands on my diary.

High Violet is an album for the lonely souls, the broken hearted, the down and outs. So put this album on and sit and wallow in your self pity or latent teen angst - it’s more fun with an excellent soundtrack.

Listen: ‘Runaway’, ‘Bloodbuzz Ohio’
If you dig this, then you’ll dig: Bon Iver, The Hold Steady, Sufjan Stevens