The National
“Don’t Swallow the Cap”/”Demons”
Trouble Will Find Me (out May 20 on 4AD)
About a month before the all-conquering Brooklynites unleash their uber-anticipated sixth LP, we get some tasty hor d’oeuvres in the form of two of the album’s first three tracks. While the latter is exactly the kind of artful, impeccably crafted diet-dirge that characterizes large chunks of their spotty, slightly uneven 2010 release, High Violet, the former reminds us what has made them one of the two or three finest traditional rock bands we have on this planet. “Don’t Swallow The Cap” features everything the quintet does well: the driving backbeat, the rousing climax, vocalist Matt Berninger’s staggering, cutting lyrics (“If you want to see me cry, play Let it Be or Nevermind“). In their 14 year career, the National has set the bar incredibly high, and more than anything, these two songs show that Trouble Will Find Me will likely clear that bar. We can all breathe a little easier.
“Don’t Swallow the Cap”
“Demons”
