The National

Since emerging from Brooklyn in the early 2000s, the National have blended elements of alternative country-rock, Americana, chamber pop, and post-punk into their moody, crafted rock. Their earliest albums won a dedicated fan base and critical praise before they made an impact on the charts with their fourth LP, 2007's Boxer. It marked a gradual shift away from some of their more rustic influences as they embraced a more expansive, orchestral sound behind the literate lyrics and brooding vocals of frontman Matt Berninger. With 2010's High Violet, the National settled into an evocative blend of electronic and acoustic instruments that accentuated the group's introspective tendencies. High Violet proved to be a commercial breakthrough as well as an artistic progression: it debuted at number three on Billboard's Top 200. From that point forward, the National were at the vanguard of adult-oriented indie rock, digging deeper into their idiosyncrasies on the subsequent Trouble Will Find Me and Sleep Well Beast, eventually earning the attention of Taylor Swift, who collaborated with Aaron Dessner on her 2020 albums Folklore and Evermore. The Swift connection brought the National to a broader audience who welcomed their next two albums, 2023's First Two Pages of Frankenstein and Laugh Track, as well as the 2024 live set Rome.

From 🇺🇸 United States