National are two sets of brothers Bryce and Aaron Dessner and Scott and
Bryan Devendorf, plus singer Matt Berninger. They hail from Cincinnati have
relocated to NYC to seize the moment. Abel is a taster from their new LP
Alligator.
It's a heady brew - a dense maze of roller coaster guitars that chime
and nag. Berninger's vocals start as a shredded scream and slide into a deep
croon. A clever inversion of the quiet-loud-quiet Nirvana dynamic. Chalk
outlines of Nick Cave in Birthday Party mode and long neglected Australian
poets the Triffids and American Music Club can be glimpsed on the
rain soaked sidewalks. A New York marriage of Leonard Cohen and the
grimy smeared guitars of Sonic Youth. It's Micha P Hinson fronting
The Afghan Whigs.
The single contains two non-album tracks. Driver, Surprise Me, is more
Lamb Chop, built as it is on a delicate whispering melody and homecoming
drums. Keep it Upstairs circles round a set of gently distorted chords and neon
organ washes. As an EP it's great, and if the album is up to this standard, it should
be breathtaking.
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