The National

I Am Easy To Find

I Am Easy To Find was never supposed to happen. The National, one of the hardest working bands around for the past two decades, were due to be taking a break when director Mike Mills got in touch. Instead, the resulting 18-month project saw them pair a beautiful short film starring Alicia Vikander and a 68-minute collaborative record of the same name.

What’s most striking on first listen to the record is the introduction of female voices. Loads of them. Indie superstar Sharon van Etten, longtime Bowie bandmate Gail Ann Dorsey and Irish singer-songwriter Lisa Hannigan are among several bringing new textures.

And the insertion of non-musician Mills as producer seems genuinely to have added a freshness to the five piece’s songwriting approach.