The National - High Violet

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The majority of those familiar with Matt Berninger's affecting baritone voice will probably have immersed themselves in The National already.

It's quite a rare thing in the modern pop climate. More importantly it gives The National that extra dimension to their otherwise apparently musically conservative base.

But this is no bad thing either. For what appears simple to the untrained ear becomes something a lot more complex on closer inspection. If The National are a band who can be immediate with their pop sensibilities, then it is their hidden talents that make them special.

Recent events, including an Albert Hall show that sold out in all of four minutes, suggest the British public are finally beginning to embrace Berninger and co.'s offerings.

And well they might. High Violet can readily be seen as the culmination of a trio of stellar albums that began with the quiet/loud and almost flawless Alligator (2005). Continued with the less perfect, yet progressive (in the best possible sense) Boxer (2007) and has now ended with a record that feels complete in every possible sense.

For now, The National have hit their peak. A compliment indeed given the quality of their previous output.

Their strengths of marrying melody with layered instrumentation, coupled with Berninger's vocals and quirky lyrics are possibly best realised on 'Sorrow' or the wonderful 'Runaway'.

In the former, Berninger, whose live performances are frequently characterised by a self confessed alcohol-fuelled effervescence, attests: "Sorrow found me when I was young. Sorrow waited, sorrow won. Sorrow that put me on the pills."

While the latter apparently finds him in cheerier spirits, with its blindly defiant refrain: "Cause I won't run, No I won't be no runaway. What makes you think I'm enjoying being led to the flood? We got another thing comin' undone."

The brooding 'Conversation 16' leaves little to the imagination: "If i was afraid, I'd eat your brains. Cause I'm evil."

The tone, while frequently downbeat never becomes morose though and despite it's rudimentary production - it was recorded largely in a home studio - it's sonically impressive.

The closer 'Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks' might even be described as epic in some circles. It's certainly a little grandiose, yet the additional strings never seem indulgent. Merely appropriate.

Best of all, there's no filler here and it's well sequenced too. It feels like a work of real importance from a band whose true worth is slowly being realised.

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