What they do, and do very well, is craft excellent songs that fit well together in the context of an album, and silently grow on you. The National are never going to hit you over the head with an original sound, but that is really not the point. Tear a moment from the days that carry us forever."Īnd there was not a dry eye in the house. It took so long/can't say we heard it all I recall so fondly standing in a crowded tent at Coachella seeing them live, and the amazing connection the 3000 people felt with each other and the band as they sang the haunting refrain: Whether it's the lovers parting ways on "Walk In The Park," or the centerpiece track "10 Mile Stereo," which looks at the mental and emotional anguish the singer goes through wondering why another relationship has failed, each song is like a short-story. Teen Dream, which on the periphery seems to suggest nostalgia and an upbeat nature, has a sad and searching heart. Of course, none of this would matter if the songwriting were not so strong. They supplement the fragile nature of their sound with bigger sounding drums in addition to the dime store drum machine they normally use, and a more complex and swirling mix. But Beach House, led by Victoria Legrand on keyboards and vocals and Alex Scally on guitar and programming, turn out to be surprisingly muscular and dense. On paper the band would seem to be something I would scorn as being too precious and twee. Teen Dream was not a natural choice for my top 4 album of 2010.
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