How Close Am I?
I finally got my hands on the National's haunting set-closer, "About Today." It's a subdued number, all comatose continuity and red wine, Matt Berninger asking "How close am I/ To losing you," in his singularly fantastic/pathetic baritone. The song's interesting in that it never peaks and hardly changes, retaining an insistent, somber lull. That it's so frighteningly listenable, while remaining devoid of any flash or spark, speaks to its strength as a song. The National, I think, make the most gimmick-free music around, lacking pretense to the point where the songs become the bitter, bitter honesty which translates into terrible self-loathing. Their music is an unparalleled pairing of unrefined emotion with very refined music, music that glitters with a sad, stately elegance and lyrics evocative of cigarettes and being alone. And the way it comes together is much like the best literature, an intense humanity filtered through a gracious, uniquely magnificent and provocative lens.
Visit the National online, and buy the Cherry Tree EP here.
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Josh Ritter has a video for "Lillian, Egypt." Check it out here. I feel I should mention that his new album, The Animal Years, has been played far more than anything else recently.
Four Tet's got an mp3 from The Exchange Session, vol. 2 with Steve Reid:
I missed my chance to see these two at the Triptych Festival, though I must admit I'm not entirely sold on the project. It's above my head.
by brian at 5/17/2006 05:58:00 PM
4 Comments:
I love Kieran Hebdon! Expect some in CP#9!
Tim
Could not have put it better myself about The National, much better than anything coming out here in England... I'd not heard of them until Alligator, but had it on so much I've endeavoured to get their whole back catalogue, and it's some of the finest songwriting I could've ever asked for.
Right on with The National. Nice bit of writing there. Great song.
Thank you.
"About Today" makes me cry almost every time I see The National. Love it.
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