National - First Two Pages Of Frankenstein - [Vinyl]

Anchored by evocative melodies and an enthralling lyrical narrative, First Two Pages of Frankenstein signals a thrilling new chapter in the band�s beloved discography. The 11-song album was produced by The National at Long Pond Studios in upstate New York and features guest appearances by Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers and Sufjan Stevens. The follow-up to 2019�s top five hit album I Am Easy To Find, First Two Pages of Frankenstein was initially stalled while lead singer Matt Berninger navigated �a very dark spot where I couldn�t come up with lyrics or melodies at all, and that period lasted for over a year. Even though we�d always been anxious and argued quite a lot whenever we were working on a record, this was the first time it ever felt like maybe things really had come to an end.� Instead, The National �managed to come back together and approach everything from a different angle, and because of that we arrived at what feels like a new era for the band,� according to guitarist/pianist Bryce Dessner, whose bandmates also include his brother Aaron (guitar/piano/bass) as well as brothers Scott Devendorf (bass, guitar) and Bryan Devendorf (drums). First Two Pages of Frankenstein channels the group�s revitalized chemistry into a body of work that beautifully balances elegant musicality with the National�s more idiosyncratic impulses. Tracks such as �Grease in Your Hair� and �Ice Machines� were road-tested in 2022 before they were recorded, allowing the band to hone the material in real time (another song, �Weird Goodbyes� featuring Bon Iver�s Justin Vernon, was released as a standalone track last August). �To me the power of this record has to do with the intentionality and structure of the music meeting with a lot of accidental magic,� says Aaron Dessner. Swift duets with Berninger on the luminous �The Alcott,� continuing her recent string of collaborations with members of The National on her chart-topping albums folklore and evermore and Aaron Dessner�s Big Red Machine project. The song finds Berninger and Swift inhabiting the roles of a couple attempting to resurrect a troubled relationship, forging a finely drawn story nearly novelistic in scope. �It�s about two people with a long history returning to a place and trying to relive a certain moment in time,� says Berninger. �It�s got the feeling of a last-ditch effort to hold onto the relationship, but there�s a hint of something positive where you can see the beginnings of a reconnection.�

National - First Two Pages Of Frankenstein - [Vinyl]

0191400056619