Welcome to the Thanksgiving Day edition of Record of the Week. This week, the Randomizer is serving up The National's Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers. This "Vinyl Me Please" reissue from 2017 is the copy I'll be listening to today.
Released in 2003, their second album is kinda The National forming their Sad Dads schtick that is very much their brand today. Very indie, a little bit rock and slightly veering into alt-country territory at points. This album, I think, is kinda underrated in The National canon, which is now 10 albums deep (not counting live albums). It just doesn't seem to get as much press as, say, Alligator or Boxer (the next two albums after this one). The National's signature sad bastard lyrics, one-liners (dear, we better get a drink in you before you start to bore us), and Matt Berninger's distinctive baritone are all on display here. Also, I feel like Bryan Devendorf is one of the best rock drummers out there. Dude is super creative and complex when he hits a groove (and like any good drummer, he knows when to dial it down), it's really impressive.
There are some straight up bangers on this album: Available, Slipping Husband, It Never Happened, Murder Me Rachael. If you've never heard this band, Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers is a pretty good place to start. I hadn't heard of them and I got in when Boxer came out in 2007 and just went backwards. I'm glad this album came up (thank you, Randomizer!), it's a good, lazy afternoon listen. Or maybe a 2am come down after a night out but you're not ready to go to bed. Whatever the case is, it's well worth a listen. Go forth and seek out this album.
Awesome! I picked this vinyl up maybe 6 months ago and it completed my National vinyl collection. Agree this is a really great listen. I just love The National.