The National Band • Page 8

This a band that I have a really hard time picking a favorite album from. It's honestly so close. Any given day a different one could be my favorite

 

I've always thought Boxer was the best album but that run of songs to close out Alligator is unparalleled by anything else in their career. Abel is "only" very good but the other 4 might all make my top 5 National songs.

 

So I just started listening to The National maybe a month ago. I've tried before but nothing clicked until I put on Boxer on a whim and got pretty into it. If my favorite tracks were Mistaken For Strangers and Slow Show, which direction should I go next?

 

Alligator.

 

I would recommend listening to their follow-ups and then going back to their earlier stuff. I had more of an appreciation for the band's progression in this sequence.

 

agreed

 

Boxer is a splits the middle between Alligator and High Violet, so one of those two. Personally, my favorites are Trouble Will Find Me and Alligator.

 

Couldn't find an EL VY thread but I work at Food Lion and they've been playing Return to the Moon in their playlist for the past few months. Pretty cool

 

Totally forgot to check that album out. I've only ever heard the single from it but I thought that was pretty good

 

It doesn't touch the best of the National (obviously), but it's worth a listen.

 

Yeah it's an ok album but Return to the Moon is an incredible song.

 

I just saw the tiny desk for the first time

 

At this point in time, still fairly new to them, my favorite songs are Mistaken For Strangers (the first song by them I heard, shout out to the Joyce Manor cover), Lit Up and Karen. Boxer and Alligator are so good that I've mostly just spent months with those two, excited to go backwards and forward.

 

If you're new to TN...

Check out their Black Sessions (x2) and White Sessions. Plus, their Mistaken For Strangers (funny/heartfelt) and A Skin, A Night (art/behind the scenes) films.

Plus, if you can track down their Boxer sketches, demos... it's so cool to hear their process and how lyrics swapped songs and so forth.

Boxer is always number 1, but the rest change everyday.
Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers
Virginia [+ other Boxer B-Sides]
Alligator
Cherry Tree [+Alligator B-Sides]
The National
Trouble Will Find Me
[High Violet B-Sides + Singles, etc from 2010-2012]
High Violet

Tall Saint will forever be my favorite song, too.

 

Black and White Sessions?

These on Youtube? I don't remember seeing them on Spotify, at least.

 

Yeah I looked around and I found some clips on YouTube. Still haven't listened tho

 

The one featuring Cold Girl Fever is incredible

 

You should be able to find zip files somewhere online, hosted by said radio stations from Europe (I think).

Or, AmericanMary's forum might have them in the wonderful download thread.

 

Oh yeah... and that Pretty Forever is a delight.

 

I'll see if I can find them later

 

Playing Pitchfork Paris in November. Surely album this summer.. please??

 

Plz

 

UHHHHHH