Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on April 2010

4AD/Hostess

A quick scan of The National’s High Violet uncovers lines like “Sorrow found me when I was young” and “Stuck in New York and the rain’s comin’ down”—an indication that this isn’t going to be a cheerful listen. But for fans of the likes of Joy Division or Bauhaus, the Brooklyn indie rock quintet’s fifth album is ripe with moments of brooding beauty. Singer Matt Berninger’s luminescent baritone glides above a churning ocean of delay-drenched guitar, bottom-deep bass lines, foamy synths and pounding, tribal drums. Whether this album does well enough in Japan to produce a tour remains to be seen, but adherents of the emotive rock currently prominent in indie circles overseas will likely push High Violet beyond even the success of the group’s last, well-received Boxer. Despite not being a huge fan of dark music myself, I found the album growing on me.