GutterPutter

Since 2019’s I Am Easy To Find, the National, after nearing an awesome lineup of beloved releases, have taken a lengthy break for much of its five members to pursue side projects. Lead singer Matt Berninger decided to take a dive into making his debut record that is Serpentine Prison a year after with generally positive feedback for his typically eloquent lyricism. In the same year, drummer Bryan Devendorf opted to do the same under his personal musical project called Royal Green which is admittedly meh in its quality. A year later, guitarist and songwriter Aaron Dessner collaborated with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon under Big Red Machine to create How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last? to which I find to be a hodgepodge of an identity crisis. Throw in a little featured performance on Taylor Swift’s Folklore and you may well have yourself a pretty preoccupied four years’ worth of pause for the whole band.

Thus, a nice mirth of creativity that is flowing within each member could be rife with potential on their latest album altogether. Clash further adds to the hype by mythologising the release as a chance for the band to finally get their music flowing as a group after a bout of writer’s block. Much like all of their records so far, First Two Pages of Frankenstein doesn’t distance itself away from the post-punk revival influences back in the early 2000s. However, the general sound puts the band’s signature topping of piano backing into the spotlight a bit more often with a greater amount of stringed accomplices. 

With the title taken after a classic gothic horror novel that’s centred around science, existentialism, and love, you would hope that the Ohio-borne band was thinking of going in an artistic direction. After all, they do flex their capabilities whether it be the indietronic-tuned Sleep Well Beast, the more punk-sounding Alligator that truly sets the band up for stardom, or their folksy classic in Boxer. You could even argue in favour of the female-led subtext on I Am Easy To Find or the more diverse song structures and vocal performance within Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers. Surely there’s a surprise that could be found within this one, right?

Spoiler alert for those who are thinking of checking the album out, there is little about First Two Pages of Frankenstein that stands out in a subtle way from the previous records. While there were criticisms surrounding the National that their songwriting is dull with insipid experimentation, this takes the cake in being among the least impressive and that is saying it politely. Featured artists like Sufjan Stevens on the intro track ‘Once Upon A Poolside’ and Phoebe Bridgers on ‘Your Mind Is Not Your Friend’ or ‘This Isn’t Happening’ just offer some backing vocals without adding anything else to the textures. 

Thus, if you’re hoping for some ponderous acoustic playing like in Boxer, you’re already in for disappointment. ‘Ice Machines’ feels like a b-side that tries to balance verbose metaphors with poppy structures only to leave a rather rambling piece of pseudo-melodrama. Otherwise, the attempted bittersweet nostalgia in ‘New Order T-Shirt’, which tells a story of a fading relationship, is hindered through its chorus which forces some referential sense of tragedy. Would mentioning an ex “in [your] New Order T-Shirt” really work as a way to heighten the strength of the bond? Can it really stand as a highlight amidst the subtext of the voice’s acts of self-sabotage? Much of them lacks the certain domestic ties that makes a lot of the band’s discography relatable to those who are getting old.

A major part of what I dislike about this album is how, even when you keep in mind the relative monotonousness that the band are criticised for, a lot of the tracks there can feel lifeless. As iconic as Berninger’s baritone singing is, tracks like ‘Eucalyptus’ or ‘Grease In Your Hair’ sees his go-to style lack the subtle anger that permeates much of the National’s most beloved songs. The production can be slick and glamorous with its notably clean mixing, but the likes of ‘Alien’ or ‘Send For Me’ proves it to just be a distraction from how lacking the songs’ emotional weight feel. No matter the pretty piano notes or the typically solid percussions that’s typically drafted up by the Dessner twins, the lyrical content on First Two Pages simply falls flat in proving Berninger’s wit.

There are some tracks that I thought were worth the shoutout as ‘Tropic Morning News’ shows an overt heartland rock influence that marks the closest the band has ever gotten to a full-on left turn. Bryan Devendorf’s drumming sticks out like a gold mine with his knack of making every snare hit count while there’s a clear tinge of electronica that will remind you of Sleep Well Beast. Otherwise, ‘The Alcott’ shows how immaculately smooth the band goes with Taylor Swift as while she mainly provides some backing vocals, they work like a charm against the piano chords. It makes you wish that the popstar were to work with her own verse to add to the track as it showcases the production knacks at its finest over its apparitional vocal layerings. 

First Two Pages Of Frankenstein proves to be the most ‘the National’ album there is. Mostly with considerable drawbacks with how a lot of the band feels like parodies of themselves with how unimaginative their direction feels as of lately. A relatively welcoming single and a promising deep cut doesn’t absolve how, for the first time ever even to me, the band truly comes off as being boring. If all that glitters is not gold, then this album proves such to be true when it comes to music. 

One could hope that without worrying too much about the production as the consistent plus, the National would focus on branching out of their trademark indie sound in favour of avant inspirations. I sure hope that complacency won’t sink too deep in the future. I could only recommend this album to the fans who are happy with whatever output the band decides to release. Otherwise, this is definitely one of the bigger letdowns of this year. A bit of a skip if you’re short on time to check out new music.