Excursions

Artist: The National
Album: Dark Was the Night
Year: 2009

With the opening lines of standout track “Fake Empire”, singer Matt Berninger instantly conjures images of stolen moments with friends: “Stay out super late tonight / Picking apples, making pies / Put a little something in our lemonade / And take it with us”. With his hypnotizing delivery, it takes a minute to realise they’re not your own memories.

The National are at it again, singing seductively about intoxication on “So Far Around the Bend”, a track from a benefit compilation put out by the Red Hot Organization featuring all manner of indie superstars (Bon Iver, Iron & Wine, Feist, etc. etc.). “Take a bath and get high through an apple” Matt sings, before venturing into New York to search for a lost friend.

“I’ll run through a thousand parties
I’ll run through a million bars
Nobody knows where you are living
Nobody knows where you are”