“Fake Empire” – track from the upcoming album by The National

This is apparently the lead-off track to “The Boxer”, due out May 22.  It’s a tremendous relief – you’ll know that Alligator is very special for me and there’s an equally special kind of terror in awaiting any follow-up to something that magical.

It’s called Fake Empire (little bit of politics, maybe?) and it’s one of their slinkier numbers with a beautiful run-out of brass and piano.  A little bit of Sufjan in a good way, as I’ve said elsewhere.   If the rest of the album lives up to it, “baby we’ll be fine”…

The National homepage here.

The National – “Alligator” 2005

It’s late but I’ve noticed that I haven’t posted anything here for a while. So here’s a quick nudge for the uninitiated and reminder for those acolytes looking for something to keep them going until the new Arcade Fire arrives, assuming you haven’t already copped one of the leaks. Me, I’m waiting. Sex before marriage is one thing but some things are worth holding out for.

Anyway, “Alligator” by The National is one of my favourite records ever. Every time I play it, I discover something new. Whether it’s the slippery descending riffs of “Baby, We’ll Be Fine”, the wistful “Looking for Astronauts” or the weirdly triumphant screw-up narrating “Mr November” (‘I won’t fuck you over/I’m Mr November’), you’ll be touched, moved, reduced to jelly…It’s a marvellous record, like the Wilco of Hotel Yankee Foxtrot growing a sense of humour and deciding to cover ‘A Rush Of Blood To The Head’. ‘Lit Up’ is a marvellous rocker. ‘Secret Meeting’ is a strange tale of imaginary (?) bodyguards and shifting identities. The singer (I can’t remember his name now and I’m too lazy to look it up) sounds like Ian Curtis with good intonation. The band play a hooky alternative rock leavened with steel guitars and and half-a-dozen diffferent layers of reverb settings.

Enough already. Trust me on this.

Links: Their site has a few mp3s. You’ll track it down.