The National
The National make anxious, slow-burning songs for grown-ups, centred on Matt Berninger's rumbling baritone and lyrics about awkward parties, failing relationships and quiet dread.
The two sets of brothers behind him, Aaron and Bryce Dessner and Scott and Bryan Devendorf, layer brooding guitars, strings and restless, driving drums. Alligator, Boxer and High Violet built them a devoted following, and Sleep Well Beast won a Grammy.
Aaron Dessner's production for Taylor Swift took his sound to a vast new audience, and the band released a pair of albums in 2023, First Two Pages of Frankenstein and Laugh Track.
If you like The National you should check out: Interpol, Arcade Fire, Taylor Swift, Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, Joy Division, R.E.M., Bruce Springsteen
