Logo
DiS Needs You: Save our site »
  • Logo_home2
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • In Photos
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Search
  • Community
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • Blog
  • Community

THIS SITE HAS BEEN ARCHIVED AND CLOSED.

Please join the conversation over on our new forums »

If you really want to read this, try using The Internet Archive.

The National

Lit Up

Label: Beggars Banquet Release Date: 14/11/2005

dionisio by Rob Webb December 16th, 2005

Imagine, if you will, Nick Cave fronting an indie band because that's how The National sound here. Their guitars rattle and soar in a slightly menacing (though still radio friendly) fashion, but singer Matt Berninger delivers his vocals with an air of detached gravitas that suggests he would sound somewhat out of place on Top Of The Pops.

This track, a remixed version from the one that appears on their critically acclaimed 'Alligator' LP, builds up the tempo with some considered, cryptic verses replete with interesting lyrical imagery ("she wears her skirt like a flag") before rushing into an epic chorus of almost *U2* proportions.

The only problem is that in attempting to weld together these two seemingly incongruous styles, The National fall between two stools; while they're never going to bother the top ten à la Arctic Monkeys, they'll also find it difficult to convince cynics that they 'mean it.' The Bravery for manic depressives, anyone?

  • 7
    Rob Webb's Score
Log-in to rate this record out of 10
Share on
   
Love DiS? Become a Patron of the site here »


LATEST


  • Drowned in Sound's Albums of the Year 2025


  • Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024


  • Drowned in Sound is back!


  • Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Year: 2020


  • Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter


  • Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing



Left-arrow

Young Knives

The Decision

Mobback
7773
11933

The Futureheads

Area

Mobforward
Right-arrow


LATEST

    news


    Drowned in Sound's Albums of the Year 2025

  • 106149
  • news


    Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024

  • 106145

    news


    Drowned in Sound is back!

  • 106143
  • news


    Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Y...

  • 106141

    news


    Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter

  • 106139
  • Playlist


    Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing

  • 106138

    Festival Preview


    Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alterna...

  • 106137
  • Interview


    A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash

  • 106136
MORE


    Interview


    A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash

  • 106136
  • feature


    No Surprises? 15 Classic Albums of 15 Years Ago

  • 82815

    Interview


    With Nile and I: DiS meets Nile Rodgers

  • 98023
  • Label focus


    Label Focus #7: 4AD

  • 92958

    feature


    DiSband #3: The Horrors

  • 28770
  • review


    Daft Punk - Discovery

  • 282

    Artist 'n' Artist


    In conversation: Liars and Deerhunter

  • 40700
  • Column


    Messy Lesson: How Liars are setting the bluepri...

  • 94792
MORE

Drowned in Sound
  • DROWNED IN SOUND
  • HOME
  • SITE MAP
  • NEWS
  • IN DEPTH
  • IN PHOTOS
  • RECORDS
  • RECOMMENDED RECORDS
  • ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
  • FESTIVAL COVERAGE
  • COMMUNITY
  • MUSIC FORUM
  • SOCIAL BOARD
  • REPORT ERRORS
  • CONTACT US
  • JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
  • FOLLOW DiS
  • GOOGLE+
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • SHUFFLER
  • TUMBLR
  • YOUTUBE
  • RSS FEED
  • RSS EMAIL SUBSCRIBE
  • MISC
  • TERM OF USE
  • PRIVACY
  • ADVERTISING
  • OUR WIKIPEDIA
© 2000-2025 DROWNED IN SOUND