Alterna-scam-nation (TM, esquire). You can listen to The National at home. The next step on their trajectory to U2-dom. This should be “Direct-to-main”ed - we have no business charting this. Functionally, as a college radio DJ, you are doing a disservice to yourself and your listeners by playing this album. Who cares whether it’s good or bad. Seriously, go pick up something else on the a-file or in the library (do you really need to hear “Graceless” one more time?). The band doesn’t need any more support. The National headlines festivals. This album will probably win a grammy (so you know it’s good, right). Boring, mopey, slow pop made by depressive types from the hipster capital.

1. 9/8 pretentious plodding
*2. worst song of the year, detached vocals
3. on this song, they try to be the cure. off by three decades, guys
4. boring
5. the john goodman movie’s better.
6. boring
7. this will be on the next twilight soundtrack
8. the band already wrote this song before. it’s called “apartment story.”
9. depressed self-loathing FCC
*10. hey guys, you’re not kate bush. FCC
11. maybe you’ll be removed from the schedule by the PD if you play this
12. boring slow song with awkward high vocals about alcoholism or something
13. tries to be precious

Highly polished slow pop made by “sleepy miserablist” Brooklyn (via Cincinnati) hipster poster boys. With “nothing left to prove,” the quintet dials back the bombast and works more intimately. They’ll still fill the arenas with this material, which brings up a good question as to why you need to play a cut off this. All songs easy on the ears, and relatively subtle. Everything is also radio-friendly in length.

1. start/stop 9/8 time, restrained but pleasant.
2. Boring, murky drum machine and synths. probably my least favorite song of theirs (fcc apparently, too).
*3. Catchy, 80s-aping synths, structured piano pop using both drum machine and real percussion.
4. the label says Simon & Garfunkle. I don’t know.
*5. Epic, anthemic breakup(?) song.
6. little bit boring
*7. Subdued, gliding, pretty one with aching bridge.
*8. Driving drums and urgent. Reminds me a lot of previous The National songs “Apartment Story” and “Conversation 16.” You’ll love it.
9. FCC shit; real downer stuff (but good)
10. FCC fuck; hooky, mellow otherwise
11. slow, dramatic, yearning
12. Upper register nodding jaunt.
13. reminds me of Boxer. slow, lots of density, but relatively gentle.