High Violet, Low Aim
3 Out of 5 Stars
I guess I am missing the hype. But when I read the Amazon review about "melodic and explosive," I wonder if we're spinning the same CD. One thing "High Violet" is not is melodic. Droning and almost brutally depressive, yes. Melodic? No way.
OK, I get it, every hipster band these days worships either Joy Division and Jesus & Mary Chain or Beach Boys (and in the case of Fleet Foxes, both). But what The National seems to have missed here is writing any actual songs. Joy Division whipped up a credible melody when they wanted to, and there's nothing here I am going to hum after a few weeks of listening to "High Violet." It's like Interpol with no hooks or JMC without the wicked subversive humor.
There are two moments that I can get hints of what all the excitement is about, and they're both at "High Violet's" midpoint. "Bloodbuzz Ohio" sounds like The National just finished watching a season of TruBlood and hit the studio. As a love song gone wrong, it's the best thing here. It's also the moment where the depressive poetry of the lyrics hits a level of intrigue that most everything else here doesn't.
Right afterwards is "Lemonworld," which carries along only a stuttered chorus and its brevity. I guess it is one of those old songwriting saws that if you run out of words, 'la la la" (or in this case, doo-doo-doo) will make it all OK. Those two songs keep "High Violet" from sinking below an average 3-star rating. If anything, The National remind me of The Editors at the moment they recorded "An End Has a Start," seemingly stuck in a loop of what made them interesting early on. The Editors broke that chain by moving off towards a new direction. Maybe next CD, The National will make that kind of leap as well.
I guess I am missing the hype. But when I read the Amazon review about "melodic and explosive," I wonder if we're spinning the same CD. One thing "High Violet" is not is melodic. Droning and almost brutally depressive, yes. Melodic? No way.
OK, I get it, every hipster band these days worships either Joy Division and Jesus & Mary Chain or Beach Boys (and in the case of Fleet Foxes, both). But what The National seems to have missed here is writing any actual songs. Joy Division whipped up a credible melody when they wanted to, and there's nothing here I am going to hum after a few weeks of listening to "High Violet." It's like Interpol with no hooks or JMC without the wicked subversive humor.
There are two moments that I can get hints of what all the excitement is about, and they're both at "High Violet's" midpoint. "Bloodbuzz Ohio" sounds like The National just finished watching a season of TruBlood and hit the studio. As a love song gone wrong, it's the best thing here. It's also the moment where the depressive poetry of the lyrics hits a level of intrigue that most everything else here doesn't.
Right afterwards is "Lemonworld," which carries along only a stuttered chorus and its brevity. I guess it is one of those old songwriting saws that if you run out of words, 'la la la" (or in this case, doo-doo-doo) will make it all OK. Those two songs keep "High Violet" from sinking below an average 3-star rating. If anything, The National remind me of The Editors at the moment they recorded "An End Has a Start," seemingly stuck in a loop of what made them interesting early on. The Editors broke that chain by moving off towards a new direction. Maybe next CD, The National will make that kind of leap as well.
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