Humiliation | The National | Trouble Will Find Me, 2013
All the LA women
Fall asleep while swimming
I got paid to fish them out
And then one day I lost the job
And I cried a little
I got fried a little
Then she laid her eyes on mine
And she said, “Babe, you’re better off”
(Source: Spotify)
Heavenfaced | The National | Trouble Will Find Me, 2013
Let’s go wait out in the fields with the ones we love.
(Source: Spotify)
Songs have a way of sticking to times in our lives. They may bring about nostalgia for a time that has passed or sorrow from a time of despair. I have been obsessive of—even swayed by—the changing of the seasons for years, and wanted to begin a song project to explore that. “Seasonal Selections,” which began in October of last year and ended last week, is what I have been calling that project, and I feel that, having once again entered the warmer months, the project has concluded its most intimate phase. The project is a personal one, and my hope in putting it together was that it would speak well enough on its own about my perception of the change of seasons to be an intriguing listen.
I had a lot of fun hand-picking the songs as the weeks passed, and will be rounding out a full calendar year to complete the cycle. If you’re interested in reading about my selection process or reading an in-depth description that accompanies the songs, you can click “Read More” below. And of course, if you have about 2 1/2 hours to spare, you can listen to the Seasonal Selections Playlist HERE.
Read more“Sea of Love” - The National
Today has been a real handful for these guys. They participated in one of Reddit’s “Ask Me Anything” segments, taking questions of all kinds from fans. Amidst all that action, they’ve also premiered this new video. In case you haven’t brushed up on your Russian post-punk (What?), the video is a tribute to one done by Zvuki Mu. Matt Berninger appears to have more difficulties with the mic hanging from the ceiling than his Russian counterpart, though.
“Sea of Love” is yet another song for The National’s catalog, already brimming with melancholy and worry. With a focus on a love lost, “Sea of Love” might be a deliberately misleading title as Berninger sings, “Hey Joy, sorry I hurt you but / They say love is a virtue, don’t they?” The National have made a career out of playing with our nagging doubts, and they’re still going strong. Their newest album Trouble Will Find Me is out May 21st on 4AD.
- Kevin Tappin
