The National
High Violet
Play High Violet
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MOG Editorial Review
Over the past few years and albums, the National have moved from cult indie rock band to crossover success, but their true breakthrough came from 2010's High Violet. Featuring a set of quiet, unsettling songs that deal with everything from aging to depression, the album has some of the band's subtlest touches yet, with frontman Matt Berninger's not-quite-singing voice restrained to a quiet grumble with very little screaming for the first time. Really, though, the band's biggest improvement is bridging the gap between booze-soaked alt-rock of their early albums and the orchestral sounds that dominated 2007's The Boxer, and the result is something that satisfies both old and news fans alike.
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AMG Review of High Violet (Expanded Edition)
James Christopher Monger
All Music GuideThe National have worn a lot of hats since their 2001 debut, but they’ve never been able to shake the rural, book-smart, quiet violence of the Midwest. The Brooklyn-groomed, Ohio-bred indie rock quintet’s fifth full-length album navigates that lonely dirt road where swagger meets desperation like a seasoned tour guide, and while it may take a few songs to get going, there are treasures to be found for patient passengers. High Violet begins to take shape on “Afraid of Everyone,” a slow-build midtempo rocker, but it’s the punishing “Bloodbuzz Ohio” that serves as the record's centerpiece. Its refrain of “I still owe money to the money, to the money I owe” seems relevant and nostalgic, a highway anthem that feels like the anti-“Born to Run.”
 "High Violet")
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