Laugh Track (studio album) by The National

Album Rating: 80.25
(963/12)

18.09.2023

The National (US): Laugh Track

1.Alphabet City 77
2.Deep End (Paul's In Pieces) 75
3.Weird Goodbyes 84
4.Turn Off The House 76
5.Dreaming 79
6.Laugh Track 70
7.Space Invader 83
8.Hornets 81
9.Coat On A Hook 81
10.Tour Manager 78
11.Crumble 85
12.Smoke Detector 94

A welcome second release this year from arguably one of the best current bands… I’m digging ‘Laugh Track’ so far, it’s like the feistier little brother to ‘First Two Pages of Frankenstein’ XD

Much more colourful and varied than it's companion album, and their best release since 2017's Sleep Well Beast.

From HoldenM 09/18/2023 05:28

Look, I love First Two Pages of Frankenstein. It's a record that took time for me to appreciate, but that I love like pretty much all of The National's discography. But Laugh Track? The band is COOKING.

Where the band's songs from High Violet on became bedded in moody textures, and even their smallest songs could not help being cinematic, Laugh Track is their least precious collection of songs in the best way possible. The immediacy and warmth recalls Alligator or Boxer, although the refined performances are more akin to the latter. There's an easiness to Laugh Track that The National has only shown off sporadically, but that drives this record, going their hardest this consistently for the first time in over a decade. Hell, "Smoke Detector" is the first genuinely upbeat closer the band has put on an album since "Mr. November." There's still dense instrumentation, but all of it sits perfectly together--Aaron Dessner really going for the most tasteful aesthetic possible. Lyrically, there's a longing which is far less forlorn, but no less poignant. Matt Berninger still has it. I'll still need some time to really dig in there.

But on the whole, if you've found The National to be a bit too slow and sleepy the last few albums, Laugh Track is a formidable and firm rebuttal.

From lleon79 09/18/2023 04:35

What a turnaround. I wasn't that much into "First Two Pages of Frankenstein", but I dig this waaaaaaaay much more.