[Photo Credit: Alex Young]
As the first signs of Christmas spirit start to infect the nation we have a nice slice of melancholia to bring the festivity back down to earth. American five-piece The National recently released their seventh studio album, Sleep Well Beast, which this week’s tune of the week, Guilty Party, is taken from.
A glitchy breakbeat and moody synths set the tone before lead singer Matt Berninger’s defeated lyrics about a helpless broken marriage begin to paint the picture of a situation filled with despair. A scintillating harp melody and distant trumpets create a hypnotic mid-section that almost provides reprieve from the misery as if there is hope in the situation after all, before Berninger’s vocal re-enters and drives home the anguish. Guilty party offers ideal Sunday evening listening as you gear up for the long week ahead. If you are a fan of this one, be sure to check out the rest of the album.