« Jeudi dernier, la veille de leur Homecoming Festival à Cincinnati, Scott du groupe The National, invité à une rencontre organisée par les fans, leur a remis un « ticket secret » pour récupérer une surprise aux portes le lendemain. La surprise était un white label de l’album Laugh Track qui sort aujourd’hui en digital et le 17 novembre prochain en physique. »
Non, The National n’est pas le groupe ultime pour dépressifs chroniques ou amoureux déçus. Il suffit d’écouter les presque huit minutes plus ou moins improvisées à la manière du Velvet de Smoke Detector pour se rappeler que les gars de l’Ohio sont un groupe de rock. Certes, on connaissait ce Weird Goodbyes sorti en août 2022 mais qui ne figure pas sur First Two Pages of Frankenstein. « Nous l’avons sorti très rapidement parce que c’était comme si un bébé naissait dans l’obscurité, ou quelque chose du genre » explique Matt Berninguer émergeant de son spleen. Avec Deep End (Paul’s In Pieces), on retrouve la batterie énergique de Bryan Devendorf pour un morceau cathartique plein d’espoir, qui regarde vers le haut avec les dessins de Pauline de Lassus alias Mina Tindle. « Je n’ai aucune idée de ce qui va se passer ensuite, mais c’est comme la mue d’une peau, d’un exosquelette. C’est vraiment amusant. Nous nous sentons tous hors de la chrysalide et prêts à découvrir quel genre de créature nous sommes maintenant. »
The National – Deep End (Paul’s In Pieces)
I’m going off the deep end
Barely sleeping
Ringing in my ears sounds like singing
It’s the only thing I hearI’m drowning out inside the sound
I can’t stop myself from thinking about you all the time
I’m always trying to tune you out but I’m gonna let you in tonightWhen the sound of your voice comes through it’s hardly there
But it’s all I care aboutI’m drowning out inside the sound
I can’t follow what you’re saying, I don’t bother to tryI’m going off the deep end
Barely sleeping
Ringing in my ears sounds like singing
It’s the only thing I hearI just cling to it. I just listen
I just cling to it. I just listenIt sounds like you’re saying beautiful things to me
It sounds like you’re setting me up for beautiful dreamsI’m going off the deep end
Barely sleeping
Ringing in my ears sounds like singing
It’s the only thing I hearI’m drowning out inside the sound
I’m drowning out inside the soundI can’t follow what you’re saying
I don’t bother to try
Little bits of beautiful things you would say while I was fading offI just cling to it. I just listen
I just cling to it. I just listen
TThe National – Alphabet City
I don’t miss the world, not the way it was
I can’t get there
Try to think of it, always at a loss
I can’t get thereAll of your lonesomeness kept in your wallet
Nobody notices, baby, you got thisI’ll still be here when you come back from space
I will listen for you at the doorTake forever off anytime you want
I’ll save your place
If anybody asks, I’ll say you’re coming back
We’ll just have to waitSometimes I wanna drive around and find you
And act like it’s a random thing
I always wonder if you ever feel
Like I blew all chances of this happeningI’m not over it, don’t know what it is
I can’t get there
Something’s wrong with me like it always is
I can’t get thereAll of your lonesomeness kept in your wallet
Nobody notices, baby, you got this
Everything’s orchestrated, follow the arrows
Let’s meet where we used to in Alphabet CityI’ll still be here when you come back from space
I will listen for you at the door
Sometimes I barely recognize this place
When you’re with me, I don’t miss the world
The National (avec Bon Iver) – Weird Goodbyes
Memorize the bathwater, memorize the air
There’ll come a time I’ll wanna know I was here
Names on the doorframes, inches and ages
Handprints in concrete, at the softest stagesI don’t know why I don’t try harder
I feel like throwing towels into waterGet it down to nothing, everything that matters
Fever flashes, eyelashes and traffic patterns
Humidity, history, chemistry and panic
Swimsuits in windows of electric minivansI don’t know why I don’t try harder
I’ve been going down some some strange waterMove forward now. There’s nothing to do
Can’t turn around, I can’t follow you
Your coat’s in my car I guess you forgot
It’s crazy the things we let go ofIt finally hits me, a mile’s drive
The sky is leaking, my windshield’s crying
I’m feeling sacred, my soul is stripped
Radio’s painful, the words are clippedThe grief it gets me, the weird goodbyes
My car is creeping, I think it’s dying
I’m pulling over, until it heals
I’m on a shoulder, of lemon fieldsWhat was I even leaving for
I keep going back and forth
I think now I’m about to see
Didn’t know how sad it’d beMemorize the bathwater, memorize the air
There’ll come a time I’ll wanna know I was here
Names on the doorframes, inches and ages
Handprints in concrete, at the softest stagesI don’t know why I don’t try harder
I feel like throwing towels into waterMove forward now. There’s nothing to do
Can’t turn around, and I can’t follow you
Your coat’s in my car I guess you forgot
It’s crazy the things we let go ofIt finally hits me, a mile’s drive
The sky is leaking, my windshield’s crying
I’m feeling sacred, my soul is stripped
Radio’s painful, the words are clippedThe grief it gets me, the weird goodbyes
My car is creeping, I think it’s dying
I’m pulling over, until it heals
I’m on a shoulder, of lemon fieldsThe grief it gets me, the weird goodbyes
My car is creeping, I think it’s dying
I’m pulling over, until it heals
I’m on a shoulder, of lemon fields
- Alphabet City
- Deep End (Paul’s in Pieces)
- Weird Goodbyes (feat. Bon Iver)
- Turn off the House
- Dreaming
- Laugh Track (feat. Phoebe Bridgers)
- Space Invader
- Hornets
- Coat on a Hook
- Tour Manager
- Crumble (feat. Rosanne Cash)
- Smoke Detector