THE NATIONAL

Ever adaptable and resourceful Matt Berninger and co turn to matters of personal pain on this seventh album. Cooly calibrated melancholy and no-holds-barred lyrics (by Berninger and his wife) tie the album’s allusive mood and disquieting imagery together. Uneasy melodies, desperate yearning, burning passion and deep regret are all conjured, though the Dylan-like incandescence of Turtleneck reminds that The National are masters of blitzkrieg rock too. A band for all seasons.