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Over the course of four full-length records, Brooklyn’s The National have become critical darlings of the indie rock world, with each successive LP seeming to garner ever-higher levels of praise. Unlike so many of their blog-hyped peers, The National has consistently merited such adoration. Their music touches on traditions including chamber-pop, canyon rock, and varied U.K. influences, but their overall tone is of a moody (though not saturnine) melancholy. This notion is anchored most noticeably by singer Matt Berninger’s canorous baritone, which rumbles forth from deep within his belly.
Album number five will come in the form of High Violet, set for a May 11th release via 4AD (the band’s two previous efforts were released by sister label Beggars Banquet). “Bloodbuzz Ohio,” the sixth of the record’s eleven tracks, is a mid-tempo affair with plenty of breathing room for Berninger’s vocals and a cohort of acoustic guitar strums and rich piano chords. Bryan Devendorf’s drumming is hard and syncopated throughout, lending a degree of intensity to a song that would feel much looser otherwise.
While one can’t be quite sure what a “bloodbuzz” is, The National make it sound positively intoxicating (except maybe for the part about getting “carried to Ohio in a swarm of bees.”) Velvety and warm, “Bloodbuzz Ohio” is the type of song which swaddles you in its spirit, keeping you safe as it swallows you whole.
(719 votes, average: 9.55 out of 10)
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March 26th, 2010 at 9:36 am
I’m never disappointed with The National. Hailing from my hometown BK, this song just reawakens my love for The National’s subtle but emotionally lingering lyrics, whimsical piano, heavy drums and raw vocals! Love it!
March 26th, 2010 at 9:56 am
Fanfuckingtastic! Can’t wait to hear the new album!
March 26th, 2010 at 10:01 am
Love love love!
March 26th, 2010 at 10:11 am
One of the best bands. Of all the bands.
March 27th, 2010 at 10:13 am
So excited to get the new album! If it wasn’t for you, I would have never known.
March 27th, 2010 at 10:23 am
I like the vocals! It reminds me of Johnny Cash which is never a bad thing. His voice really does rumble from down below. I don’t normaly enjoy Indie Rock that much but this is awesome sauce and I plan on getting the album!
March 27th, 2010 at 10:42 am
I keep hearing great things about these guys. This song makes me want to give Boxer another listen.
April 1st, 2010 at 3:06 pm
i was expecting so much more
didn’t do much for me
didn’t care too much for that sound in 1985 either
April 2nd, 2010 at 3:29 am
I’m pretty sure the world of music would be a completely different place had there been music even remotely similar to that of The National in 1985.
April 17th, 2010 at 7:01 pm
The album isn’t even out yet, but based on The National’s past performance and on this great track I’m already carving out a space for it in the upper reaches of my Best of 2010 list.
October 18th, 2010 at 12:10 pm
The National are the nicest guys with whom to work.
November 28th, 2010 at 4:07 am
What’s Canyon Rock?
November 28th, 2010 at 9:36 am
@Mie: It’s a reference to the music of California’s Laurel Canyon area during the 1970s. Think along the lines of Gram Parsons.
Here’s a link for you: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5778064
March 6th, 2012 at 4:11 am
This page really has all the info I needed about this subject and didn’t know who to ask.