The National Announce New Album ‘First Two Pages Of Frankenstein’

Alongside some UK shows...

The National will release new album ‘First Two Pages Of Frankenstein’ on April 28th.

The new album is the band’s ninth of their career, and it follows a short burst of previews on their official site. Hinting at what could come next, The National have now put fans out of their misery by announcing a new album, and some international tour dates.

So, the album. The 11-song LP was produced by The National at Long Pond Studios in upstate New York and features guest appearances by (drum roll!) Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers and Sufjan Stevens. Big hitters, all.

Sessions were not, however, straight forward. Work initially stalled, while lead singer Matt Berninger navigated, “a very dark spot where I couldn’t come up with lyrics or melodies at all. Even though we’d always been anxious whenever we were working on a record, this was the first time it ever felt like maybe things really had come to an end.” 

After a break, 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.

Out on April 28th, the record is teased by powerful new song ‘Tropic Morning News’. Partly recorded live in Hamburg, the title refers to the habit of waking up, reaching for your phone, and doom scrolling.

“When Matt came in with that song in the depths of his depression, it felt like a turning point for us,” says Aaron Dessner. “It’s almost Dylan-esque in its lyrics and it’s so much fun to play; everything suddenly felt like it was coming alive again.”

Tune in now.

The National have announced a UK and Ireland run in September, with support from soccer mommy. Dates are as follows:

September
21 Dublin 3 Arena
23 Leeds First Direct Arena
24 Glasgow OVO Hydro Arena
26 London Alexandra Palace

Photo Credit: Josh Goleman

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