Album Rating: 2.0

if anything the new one has made me appreciate this one quite a bit more



could prob bump my rating to a 3 on a relisten

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

Where is Her Head is ok, sort of a Broken Social Scene type tune

Album Rating: 4.0

Head, Kansas, title track, Hairpin, and Oblivions are all great, Kansas and Head probably the most notable of those even if Head is basically not even a National song. Still think a culling of this that brings it down to the length of the new one would be a very solid 4/5, as is it’s right on the 3.5-4 line for me. New one is looking like an upper 2.5, maaaaaaaaybe a light 3.

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

With an edit this might have made a middling 3.0

Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off

Would easily be 8/10 rating level if they had cut the 6 worst songs, 2 of which are just short pointless interludes. And if they kept the original version of Hairpin Turns, the music video version, which is far better than the the album version which always irked me. Love So Far So Fast, Rylan, Oblivions, Where is Her Head, Quiet Light, and maybe the t/t.

Album Rating: 3.7

I'd only say three tracks here (Not In Kansas, Light Years, and Rylan) are truly top-tier The National, but most of this has grown at least a bit on me with the years.

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

Yeah I quite like Kansas

Album Rating: 3.7

Yep, took me a long time to appreciate that one, but it's been hitting me hard in the last year or two, think it's the true gem here

This is slightly better than I remembered, really dislike the overproduced sound and the features.

Maybe I like the new one more for now because I want to like it.

Album Rating: 4.0

Where Is Her Head >>>>

Album Rating: 3.0

While there's great stuff here (almost danced to "Light Years" at my wedding before my wife was like, whoa, that song is too sad), but I mostly am usually angry this is an official part of their discography. I don't want it to not exist but I wish it was considered a compilation or something lol

Album Rating: 3.0

Also, I'm sorry, but anyone who prefers this over Frankenstein/Laugh Track era is out their mind, all due respect

Album Rating: 3.5

that would be me

Album Rating: 3.0

I think the idea is that at least this took a few risks and had a sense of boldness about it, even where experiments felt awkward or unfinished, whereas Frankenstein especially sounded like they were wilfully playing into stereotypes.

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

Yeah, this still has about six decent tunes and they don’t feel half as played out



Stuff like the opener on this is the absolute pits though, worst shit ever

Album Rating: 3.0

I get war flashbacks every time that noodly DOO DOODLEDOO DOO DOODLE DOODOO from the opener plays.

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

The album officially starts at track 2 for me - that’s the law

If you take the best from this, frankenstein, and laugh track.....you got a stew goin

Album Rating: 3.0

FRANKENSTEIN would be woefully underrepresented in that hypothetical scenario. Hell, I'd probably make my stew with just the choice cuts from this and LAUGH TRACK tbh.

I don't disagree, but I do still think Frankenstein's best tracks would make for a nice change of pace. Tropic Morning News, while disappointingly one of the best tracks from that album, would be a decent deep cut in this hypothetical scenario