Word: songfulness
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...like the others? / What if I say I’m not just another one of your plays? / You’re the pretender / What if I say I’ll never surrender?” While the message comes across loud and clear, the song comes off as loud and unoriginal, and Grohl’s yelling during the chorus makes it almost unbearable...
This bias toward recent material wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. The fraternal rhythm section formed by Bryan (drums) and Scott (bass) Devendorf anchored each song, just as they do on the albums, forcing the sea of hipsters into head-bobbing and foot-tapping throughout the night...
Instruments were traded freely between the string players, with Padma Newsome rocking out along with guitarist-brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessner. This gave Berninger time to shuffle away to gulp some fluids to repair his growled-out throat. Each song climaxed after the lyrics, escalating until, in a crashing crescendo, a deafening richness was achieved at the end of every song...
...songs rarely strayed from studio versions (again, perhaps a nod to new fans in search of something fresh yet familiar), which actually wasn’t a negative. Berninger’s conversational singing style, an evocative baritone, suited the space well, as did his brief suspensions of composure, as when he casually threw his mic-stand backstage on the last song...
Overall, The National hit all the right notes on Saturday night. Almost every song builtslowly, driven along by catchy rhythm and the gradual escalation of Berninger’s mournful singing. Attention to melody, faithfulness to studio style, and moderate portions of unleashed rocking-out can only bode well for an eager reception in Europe this fall, and for the continual coalescence of support back home...