Lore and storytelling play a large role on every album The National releases, and on their ninth album, First Two Pages of Frankenstein, released in April, the narrative was more central than ever. Their profile had risen after collaborating with Taylor Swift on her pandemic albums Folklore and Evermore, although the band’s dynamic felt “fragile” given frontman Matt Berninger’s life changes and writer’s block. These difficulties came through clearly in the music, although NME called it “their best in a decade” and said they had managed to “prove they can do this to both themselves and a waiting world”.
“Laugh Track” is being touted as a “surprise double album,” whether that’s because of the no-notification release (aside from a few annoying fan forum leaks) or because the desire to release this material has arisen within them . Speaking to NME earlier this year, Aaron Dessner revealed that over 25 songs had been completed in previous sessions and that he was proud of the “conviction” with which the band chose the 11 tracks that made up “First Two Pages…”.
That lasted until early June, when the band began soundchecking closing track “Smoke Detector,” a nearly eight-minute jam that combines the jagged edges some missed on “First Two Pages…”. The performance from that stage is largely preserved here in its original form, breathtakingly raw, Berninger’s sparkling line “Smoke detector, smoke detector / All you have to do is protect her” is as clear and memorable as his best. The song has since become a staple on their recent summer tour.
This immediacy, reminiscent of “Alligator,” contributes to the success of “Laugh Track.” The band re-recorded nine of the new songs from this existing batch, making way for their 2022 Bon Iver collaboration “Weird Goodbyes.” Bryan Devendorf’s drumming – thunderous, complex, cutting – is crucial to each song: “Deep End (Paul’s In Pieces)” feels immediately memorable, as does the introduction to “Dreaming”. The crescendo of “Space Invader” is as hard as the “dad rockers” have been in a long time, its live drumming blowing away the mostly electronic contributions of “First Two Pages…”.
There are welcome connections between the two records: Phoebe Bridgers appears again on backing vocals on the title track of “Laugh Track,” while “Coat On A Hook” and “Hornets” are punctuated by wry Berninger-isms of a relationship in crisis: “What does it mean when your arms fall asleep?” / And how do you get rid of hornets before the weekend?” he ponders the latter. We will contact you regarding this. “Crumble” is highlighted by the duet with Roseanne Cash – Johnny and June’s daughter – and her country twang, and “Alphabet City” simmers with sonic tension, similar to the material from previous records.
The tightness of First Two Pages… singles like “Tropic Morning News” and “Eucalyptus” is somewhat lacking, although the looser structures and decision to give the songs room to grow pay off melodically and lyrically. In a statement shared with the record, Berninger says that this period “feels like shedding a skin” and the band is once again heading into the unknown for their next creative cycle: an exciting new chapter is sure to emerge.
details
- Release date: September 18, 2023
- Record label: 4AD