Office Space: Breaking Down "The National"
How to describe perhaps Americas finest modern rock band? Simply put, the National mesh, they construct and tear down, and they play rock n' roll unlike anyone else. At the core of all their songs lies a detectable heart buried underneath a sea of concrete . The National are city boys, their influences cosmopolitan, and they often teeter at the edge of wiseassdom only to be saved by their art. After a typical National song has reached it's conclusion, we've read a tightly constructed essay of postmodern discontent, meticulously built with plenty of poetry and no wasted words. Although the band is led by lead singer Matt Berninger, the National does not serve as a vehicle for any sort of overwhelming personality. As a unit, the National almost always have something to say that seems to stretch beyond just one personality, suggesting that a collective approach is favored by the band. In many ways, they are the opposite of the Drive By Truckers, and not only in t...