The National are a Brooklyn-based five-piece hailing from Ohio. The group contains two pairs of brothers — Bryce Dessner (guitars), Aaron Dessner (bass, guitars), Scott Devendorf (bass, guitars), and Bryan Devendorf (drums) — and features Matt Berninger on vocals.
The National unveiled two new tracks, “Alphabet City” and “Space Invader.” The latter comes accompanied by an evocative visualizer crafted under the creative direction of Noah Sacré and Pauline de Lassus – both songs come hot on the heels of their LP “First Two Pages of Frankenstein”, which was released on April 28th.
Within the melancholic embrace of the seven-minute “Space Invader,” frontman Matt Berninger weaves a tapestry of contemplation and introspection. His distinctive and emotive voice croons out alternate scenarios, pondering the roads not taken: “What if I stayed on the/ C train until Lafayette?” he muses.
Similarly, “Alphabet City” receives the visualizer treatment on which de Lassus lends her artistic prowess to the animation and drawings that enrich the animated interpretations and resulting visual journey. Notably, both videos feature photographs by Brent Walter-Ballantyne. On “Alphabet City,” Berninger’s voice is just as vivid this time crafting a tale of presence: “I’ll still be here when you come back from space/ I will listen for you at the door.”
The Fat Angel Sings 