Album Rating: 2.0

After one whole listen I already like it more than SWB, so that's a positive sign. Not in Kansas is the early standout. Looking forward to jamming it again and seeing where this goes.



Is it me or the album almost summery (for a National record at least?) On paper it sounds like a terrible nightmare but I'm surprisingly OK with this stylistic change given my (very) early impressions.

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

Before the album I too thought the stylistic change would be my major gripe.



Now it's the lacking and same'y song writing.



So they still have managed to surprise me.

Album Rating: 2.0

I didn't even know it to be the case beforehand, tried staying as far away as possible from any pre-release discussion and certainly didn't check out the singles. Surprisingly palatable.



This appears to be a more radical departure in sound than either of their previous albums were, definitely don't get that 'samey' vibe here.

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

tracks 5-7 are so same'y you could shuffle them and I wouldn't be able to tell



I think the style shift had to be quite radical because these songs...we're not dealing with 'Fake Empire' or 'Slow Show' here let's just say that. Yikes.



I'm happy enough for the band, they have clearly done something different they're proud of...but good lord is this boring to me and the songs are so flaccid I'd be terrified of catching them live now. Imagine half these songs with pure Matt vox - think they'd stiff live.



Four songs from the previous album were deathly dull when I caught them live and other than 'Where is Her Head' I'd imagine most of these wouldn't fare much better. Snoozy.

By the way this review is one of the best I've ever read on this site.

Album Rating: 2.5

Lol doof you consider Kansas one of the best here? That song is terrible.

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

Kansas is literally the only song to have moments I find at all affecting.



I described it as probably being an 'intriguing failure' - that still makes it better (or at least more interesting) than 90% of the album yes.



'Light Years The Average' is my fifth favourite song here. Album is not good.

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

'Oblivians' through to the t/t is horrendous

Album Rating: 2.0

@Doof: well I'm only going by my first impression, 'samey' just appears to be a strange critique on the surface. Then again I was thinking about their discog as a whole, rather than this album in isolation.



I'm just pleased this at least intrigues me more than SWB, at this stage my expectations are no higher than that (an album that remains planted on 3/5, seemingly for eternity)... usually their material takes a while to reveal itself.

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

Light Years might not have a lot goin' on, but is a beaut. This might be my least favourite by Natty (aside the self titled) but I don't now where I stand for now (these guys usually make growers).

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

'The System Only Dreams' is more worthwhile than this whole album to me but cool, glad the band have produced something people are digging.



I have enough trad National to keep me happy didn't need more. Plus two songs here are adequate trad National numbers.



Also 'Where is Her Head' deserved a release, even if only as a B-Side - so I'm glad that one came out.

Album Rating: 2.5

Sounds like a fking lullaby to me lol. Nothing particularly melodious or interesting about it either

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

Gyro - thematically it just hits, and the female vox are again a thematically interesting counterpoint. Matt seems engaged and alive on that song to me, more than anywhere else on the album.



'The time has come to stop being human' section makes me feel/hope? there's something meaningful going down elsewhere on the album tbh



It would have worked with the 'Sleep Well Beast' theme!



These two last albums should have been pruned to one release let's be real.

Album Rating: 2.5

Kansas has some interesting lyricism that is just absent from most of the other tracks at the very least

Album Rating: 2.0

They lyrics appear a little more surface level here, or 'obvious' perhaps? Gone are the obscure metaphors to endlessly contemplate, never quite knowing (in some cases) whether you're interpreting it correctly, or whether there's even a 'correct' answer.



Not necessarily a bad thing, just an observation.

Album Rating: 4.2

sleep well beast was this band's moon shaped pool in that both were dreary, inconsistent and absolutely horrendously paced from a band who usually know better

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

Listening to SWB



Female vocals were so great on ‘Nobody Else Will Be There’. The song is superior to any track on this one. That’s a certainty.



Think this new album will cement my 4.5 for the previous album.

Album Rating: 3.0 | Sound Off

You see Day I Die, System, Turtleneck, Gym and Guilty Party seem brighter and more sprightly than most of this album to me :/



Day I Die and System were excellent, and superior, live too



In the battle of the fragmented spoken word tunes ‘Walk it Back’ >>>>>>>>>>>> ‘The Pull Of You’

Album Rating: 4.2

oh yeah Nobody Else is a classic National tune. so is Walk It Back and Guilty Party - shame they aren't on a better album, but I'm not gonna spend 100 comments disparaging SWB because you seem determined not to like this. do your weird, cynical confirmation bias thing if that's what you feel

Album Rating: 4.0

I actually think this one has a lot of really great lyrics, maybe even a return to form for Matt after SWB which was a little weaker lyrically for me. I'm a big fan of both records though. Can see how this is divisive, but glad we can agree this reivew rules