The National Albums Ranked

The National is an American rock band of Cincinnati, Ohio natives, formed in Brooklyn, New York City in 1999. The band consists of Matt Berninger (vocals), Aaron Dessner (guitar, piano, keyboards), Bryce Dessner (guitar, piano, keyboards), Scott Devendorf (bass), and Bryan Devendorf (drums). Leaving behind their day jobs, the National signed with Beggars Banquet Records and released their third studio album, Alligator (2005), to widespread critical acclaim. The band’s fourth and fifth studio albums, Boxer (2007) and High Violet (2010), increased their exposure significantly. In 2013, the band released its sixth studio album, Trouble Will Find Me, which was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards. In 2017 the band released the album Sleep Well Beast, which won the Grammy award for Best Alternative Music Album at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards. Their eighth studio album, I Am Easy to Find, was released on May 17, 2019. Here are all of The National albums ranked.

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10. The Virginia EP (2008)

“The Virginia EP collects nearly all of the b-sides and demos (a rare extended version of “Brainy” is missing), as well as select live recordings from this fruitful period for the National. Songs like “Santa Clara”, “Tall Saint”, and “Forever After Days” show that even the tossed-aside material from Boxer is staggering. Meanwhile, the lighthearted “Blank Slate” and “Slow Show” demo illustrate the ways in which the songs change, grow, and find identities of their own. The EP tells a story of creative exploration parallel to “A Skin, A Night” that reveals even more about the band and their journey from studio to stage.”

9. The National (2001)

“The song “Watching You Well” is a bit of an alt country ballad but to say the entire album is like that is misleading. There is a bit of a Stonesy sounding rocker in the music for “Pay For Me” but Matt Berninger’s vocals/lyrics quickly make you forget about Stones sound. For the record, this sounds nothing like their later work but that doesn’t keep it from being one of my favorites. The interplay of guitar is there. The interesting drum parts are there, the sly inter-playing bass lines are there and oh yes, the deep voiced brilliant lyrics are all over it.”

8. Cherry Tree (2004)

“So subtle, deep, gentle, moving,haunting and complete. the production on this album seems to be the sonic picture that fits this band perfectly. they’ve found their voice,so to speak. lucky. It’s all very well writing songs that chime within the bands members, but if the recording of those songs doesn’t chime, then you’ve got a wreak, this is sublime.”

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7. Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers (2003)

“The title of this album is misleading. It could be called Funny Songs for Angry Lovers ….or Dirty Songs for Sad Lovers….lyrically, the songs explore different sides of relationships and there is a lot of levity….. song titles like Trophy Wife and Sugar Wife make me think the album title may be intended as a joke. Though who can say. Whatever the case, this is an interesting, intense album.”

6. I Am Easy To Find (2019)

“Beautiful album Ambitious album, maybe one of the best albums of The National. Apparently it has a complement of a video of 20 minutes that I have not seen, but the CD is extraordinary. I find new ways of escape, new roads … but deep down I find the best of National. In all songs lies that search for a new reality in feelings, a woman or couple who escapes from the old cliches, a respect and depth that is forgotten in other times, it is a magnificent album about the relationships of love and affection of this weather.”

5. Sleep Well Beast (2017)

“The album has new elements (electronic, guitar solo) while bringing back some of their earlier sounds. I’ve always enjoyed The National songs that “rock harder” such as Abel, Mr. November, Available and this album harks back to that with livelier songs such as Turtleneck, The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness, and Day I Die. Excellent work overall!”

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4. Alligator (2005)

“”Alligator” is one of the most listenable and captivating and sadly underappreciated albums to come our way since the turn of the millennium. It’s an album with a lot to say about our loves and lives and lies. If you’re anything like me, you’ll listen to it a lot, and the more you listen to it, the more you want to listen to it. And you’ll save it for after nightfall, for it’s one of those lonely, staring-out-your-window-at-the-night-streets albums.”

3.Trouble Will Find Me (2013)

“Their music reminds me of the ocean. There’s a common feel to all of it, but also an incredible variety, and an intense level of detail to the patterns. More importantly, once you’ve experienced it, you might think you don’t need it any more, but something pulls you back. (Like a lot of my favorite music, I’m often perplexed and/or underwhelmed on first listen. Then I give it another go, just to see if I’ve missed something. And before long, the songs I thought I didn’t like are stuck in my head, and I’m hunting down my fellow Nationalists to jabber excitedly about this lyric or that string segment or the other horn arrangement, the one that sounds like nothing you’ve ever heard before.”

2. Boxer (2007)

“Its just real Music. From the first track (Fake Empire) to the last Track (Gospel), The album takes you on a journey of emotions. Some good some not so good, yet all essential in making this album one of those must have pieces of music that everyone should own.”

1. High Violet (2010)

“The music is full of atmospheric melancholy, but it doesn’t leave you feeling depressed. Musically, it sounds spectacular. These guys are great musicians. This is an album that I sit and actually listen to and enjoy”