For two decades, The National have been searching their grief with a fine-tooth comb in order to find the masterful poetry that drives their music. The band builds its songs around the trauma of love, loss, and hopelessness while avoiding a “woe is me” attitude that plagues bands who attempt the same. They pair their sensitivity with vivid storytelling and arrangements that evoke similar emotions felt on lonesome walks or nighttime car rides to nowhere, their latest release is no different, only evolved. This week sees The National releasing First Two Pages Of Frankenstein, the latest chapter in their novelistic discography and first full album since 2019’s acclaimed I Am Easy To Find. This new collection of songs has the storied act rethinking their approach to the craft of songwriting and landing on a sound that uses sophisticated tones to add a sense of maturity to their child-like wonder of the world.
The only proper way to describe First Two Pages Of Frankenstein is a bright melancholy. The National found themselves exploring similar subjects from past releases in a whole new light, contextualizing their memories with the lessons they learned both musically and through experiencing their daily lives. Their lyrics act as the horizon while the arrangements represent a setting sun, adding unimaginable color and scenic imagery to the heart-wrenching poetry of the album. This contrast gives us some of the best songs on the album like the singles “New Order T-Shirt” and “Eucalyptus” and while these two songs were some of our first looks into the new LP, they are far from defining the sonic direction of First Two Pages Of Frankenstein. The LP bounces from these aforementioned colossal arrangements to moments of candle-lit intimacy like the intro to the album, “Once Upon A Poolside” which features a stirring piano melody that compliments frontman Matt Berninger’s low tone beautifully.
The National brought out a star-studded cast of features for the new album, although they made sure nothing took the spotlight away from these songs. The band used their guest to elevate established arrangements rather than bending the song to fit big names like Phoebe Bridgers and Sufjan Stevens. The National could’ve easily fallen victim to bringing in popular names like this, we see it all the time when two popular acts collide and it sounds unnatural and clunky. The National did not disappoint in this regard, they used Bridgers crooning to elevate the harmonies on “This Isn’t Helping” instead of parading around the new generation’s brightest star. This is a testament to the headspace The National was in during the recording process, it seems they wanted nothing more than to make these songs the best they could be and used their namesake to bring in the perfect amount of guests in order to achieve this. These guests simply added more depth to the textures used on First Two Pages Of Frankenstein without distracting from the overall message of the LP, an achievement that is not to be overlooked.
As far as that message goes, it is a complex and deep one that is told through whimsical poetry that finds its edge by viewing reality as it is and as it could be at the same time. The lyrics that build the foundation of First Two Pages of Frankenstein toe this line between what we perceive and what is real by accepting what is in front of us while still exploring every angle to find the light in the dark. A song like “Ice Machines” finds the beauty in lonely hotel stays while a song like “Alien” has the band reaching outside of themselves to create vague pop that still holds the emotional weight of the more personal songs on the album. The album plays as a journey through the many facets of the band, allowing each lyric to carry its own weight while still coming together for a group photo filled with smiles and tears at the same time.
First Two Pages of Frankenstein feels like a return to The National we fell in love with 20-plus years ago while still being creatively ambitious and providing new context to a band who never fears away from putting themselves out there. For 11 songs, the band explores a plethora of tones and topics that are strung together by the echoing vulnerability that brings so much character to these tracks. The National has established a sound throughout their career, this latest release sees the band widening their range through juxtaposing arrangements that seem to battle the dark lyrics, all bleeding together to create a listening experience that is more akin to the seven stages of grief than a traditional album. The band didn’t reinvent their approach out of necessity, they viewed this album as an opportunity to grow within themselves and present us with an exploration into false perceptions with just enough reality to bring these songs down to earth with a hesitant smile.
