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Lemonworld to Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks is possibly the best run of songs on any of their records, but the first half really isn't that great beyond Terrible Love (and even that's never quite sounded right on record, it's much better live).

Still pretty amazing.

The bar is Alligator and Boxer, which y'know are kind of amazing too.

but when I think about it, there's only actually a couple of songs that I love. Somehow it works very as an album despite that (and I'm no massive fanboy of theirs).

It's a very good record.

Obviously it's a bit hard to get something to stand up to your previous attempts when you've released two near-perfect albums, but it's still excellent in its own right.

There is *something* missing, though. Every song's a good song, some of them bordering on being great, but there's not the, well...briliance of Boxer, or the general sense of momentum that Alligator had.

An 8.5/10 record for me, which by most other bands' standards would be great, but by theirs it just falls a bit short.

i never really listen past that. lemonworld's the most annoying song ever

But Lemonworld seems like a parody of a National song to me... I've never got on with it at all. Conversation 16 is underrated.

and slightly more torture for me. I resent that the songs sound so so much better live.

total madness in the couple posts above

but so are most things in life. Has it's own feel and stands up fine, also works great live. Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks works brilliantly as acoustic singalong at end of night

High Violet was my 'in' to the National, I'd always ignored them as hipster arseholes until I heard Anyone's Ghost and thought "Ooh, actually they sound good". Loved High Violet, then sure enough found Alligator and Boxer which I loved even more, but came back to High Violet recently and it is still wonderful. It's more playful, I thought, "I was carried to Ohio in a swarm of bees" and all that. Less glum than some of the older stuff. I still struggle to say which is my favourite. Probably Boxer because it's a mid way between Alligator's subtle emotion and High Violet's more atmospheric approach. It's like ordering Radiohead albums though, the best is always the one you haven't listened to in the longest.

8/10 record due to how great the previous two were and not quite having its own sound. Personally think 'Lemonworld' sounds like another take on 'Slow show' (see the demo version on 'Virginia...'), 'England' is astounding and takes them into new, mainstream areas and 'Bloodbuzz Ohio' is glorious.

It's almost like their 'New adventures in Hi-Fi' (lots to love, moments of greatness, a few retreads and a bit divisive but which could open them up to a whole new fan base).

I haven't listened since 2010, but that happens to most records. they just get swept away by the next bunch.

after not listening in a while, and then seeing them at ATP and the songs from it sounding fresh and magnificent there. Really love it now, maybe at first I devoured it so eagerly and with such high expectations that I didn't let it grow on me. But for me it's up there with Boxer & Alligator

Replacing Terrible Love with the laternate version helps.

I think the second half of it actually dips but the first run of tracks up to and including Bloodbuzz is very high quality. Afraid of Everyone and Conversation 16 seem to be quite underrated by people.

It might be slightly under Alligator and Boxer overall, but it's the one that I come back to more often. Those other 2 records I kind of have to be in the right mood.

Maybe it's because High Violet is about being in your thirties and having a family and being world-weary, which is also me. If it sounds flat in places to people, I think you'll find that's deliberate...

One of my favourite records. Ever. Go figure.

having been a pretty big fan up to then, that album combined with an awful gig in support of it (where Berninger appeared to be channelling the worst excesses of Stipe in his pomp) put me right off them to the extent that it's been more than 2 years since I last gave any of their records a spin

I've been listening to it consistently since it came out in 2010. I think it is their best album. It was also a nice gateway record for my housemate into other bands she didn't think she'd like.

Everything leading up to Bloodbuzz I really like, Afraid Of Everyone is a favourite. I'm not so keen on the second half - even Conversation 16 seems weakened in the context of the tracks around it.

apart from Lemonworld, which is a pointless retread of Slow Show

like a hipster. It's the gorgeous violet coloured edition too. <3

SUCH A GOOD ALBUM.

in the process of listening now, to see how I feel, I remember liking it but not as much as Alligator but about as much as Boxer, the Alt version of Terrible Love is awesome

Still thinks it's a pretty good album, by no means is it poor.

And Lemonworld is probably the worst song. So you're wrong on all levels.

So, respectfully, I must disagree whole-heartedly with your assessment sir.

Completes the finest consecutive three album run by any band since The Pixies to my mind.

Still, all subjective and that so as you were.

How ironic.

I like England and I do sing along to others and enjoy a lot of them live but not really on record. It's undoubtedly an accomplished record but I'm not a fan of it, at all.

i found it sterile and smug. but i can get why people like it

Massively underrated, beautiful song. And as an album I'd say it has more replay value than Boxer, if not quite as good as Alligator.