The National (album)

The National is the debut studio album by American indie rock band the National, released on October 30, 2001 on Brassland Records. Recorded prior to guitarist Bryce Dessner's full arrival into the band, The National was produced by both Nick Lloyd and the band itself. Now-bass guitarist Scott Devendorf performs both guitar and backing vocals on this album, with guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Aaron Dessner on bass guitar and guitar duties.

The National
Studio album by
The National
ReleasedOctober 30, 2001
RecordedGretchen's Kitchen, Brooklyn; Gretchen's Pantry, New Haven
Length43:51
LanguageEnglish
LabelBrassland
ProducerThe National, Nick Lloyd
The National chronology
The National
(2001)		 Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers
(2003)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Pitchfork6.6/10[2]

The album features a more country-tinged sound in comparison to future albums. Lyrics from "29 Years" would later be used in "Slow Show" from the band's 2007 album, Boxer.

Background and recording

The album features guest contributions from forthcoming member Bryce Dessner, with his brother Aaron noting, "When we recorded [the album], my brother wasn't even in the band. We made the record before we ever played a show. We did it just to do it."[3]

Artwork

The album's front cover features drummer Bryan Devendorf in a swimming pool.

Track listing

All tracks are written by the National.

No.TitleLength
1."Beautiful Head"3:08
2."Cold Girl Fever"4:06
3."The Perfect Song"3:15
4."American Mary"4:03
5."Son"5:20
6."Pay for Me"3:23
7."Bitters & Absolut"4:00
8."John's Star"3:05
9."Watching You Well"3:02
10."Theory of the Crows"4:37
11."29 Years"2:50
12."Anna Freud"3:09

Personnel

The National

Additional musicians

Recording personnel
  • Nick Lloyd - producer, recording, mixing
  • Mike Brewer - pre-production
  • Jeff Salem - pre-production
  • Ue Nastasi - mastering

Artwork
  • Mauricio Carey - photography
  • Pope Rathman - photography

References
  1. MacNeil, Jason. "The National – The National". AllMusic. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  2. Nickey, Jason (October 14, 2001). "The National: The National". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  3. "30 Bands Joining Van's Warped Tour Lineup in 2014". ThoughtCo. Retrieved 2018-07-31.
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